Visions of Forever: You and I
by Ryn Kashiel
Summary: In 1864, the Tokugawa Shogunate organized a group of ronin to become protectors of Kyoto. Sworn to be the vanguards of peace in the capital, these men formed the Shinsengumi. As they struggle to fight for what they believed in and prove themselves as real warriors, five women of different birth and upbringing will be entangled in their lives. (Rating may go up)
1. Part I - Enchanted to Meet You

**RK:** Yatta! I'm still alive! I haven't been active lately thanks to my coming thesis proposal. *sighs* Anyhow, I've had this idea for quite a few months actually. I just didn't have the time to write it. But now that we have two rest days, guess I'll make myself productive…and maybe get some sleep afterwards. Btw, this would be written in multiple one-shots. Hope you like it!

 **Part I - A Fated Encounter? (Enchanted to Meet You)**

It was a lovely springtime for Kyoto. The marketplace was buzzling with people, some buying fresh ingredients, others bargaining for a lower price to merchants—typical, very typical. No doubt, Ayane Katsu would have enjoyed this day if it weren't for the stares she was receiving. _What, first time to see a woman with a pair of swords strapped to her waist?_ Ayane had always believed that men and women were made to complement each other. Both have strengths to boast and weaknesses to hide. A lady such as her who can wield a blade may be considered taboo in their culture but the fact still remains: women could become strong just like men and thus, they should also be given the opportunity to learn the ways of the warrior if they so desired. That was why for her, to say that the female race is inferior to the men who ruled the society, is nothing but utter bullsh—

"Hey, you! Come back!"

Her heart skipped a beat when she realized that she had already emptied the box of *sakura mochi she took from a nearby stand. With haste, she slipped one hand to her satchel in search for that tiny coin pouch she adored. _Here it is!_ Turning around, Ayane paced back to give her payment to the infuriated vendor when another realization halted her tracks. _What the.. I don't have any money left?!_ She gently shook her coin pouch and felt not even a single *mon; the little bag didn't make the clink-clank sounds Ayane was expecting. _Oh, bless my unfortunate fate!_

"I'M SO SORRYYYYYYYYYY!"

And with that, Ayane ran as if she could fly; leaving the stunned vendor whose expression snappily appeared like a volcano seconds away from erupting. A pulsing vein popped and he wasted no time to run after her. "Come back here you—!"

Their little scene dragged the attention of some passersby which prompted her to turn right into an alleyway, the man still in hot pursuit. Ayane would have none of that, switching directions with every chance she got. It didn't take her too long and one more corner, the shouts of her grim reaper could no longer be heard.

She ceased her sprint and finally allowed her lungs to greedily take in some oxygen. Scanning around, Ayane realized that she was at an intersection; the road back to the marketplace about six meters away from her. A smile of victory found its way to her lips as she placed both hands to her hips, acting all mighty even without an audience to see her.

"What I did isn't wrong!" she voiced out to the wind or more to herself in order to neutralize the guilt in her system. Bystanders and some people who were in hearing perimeter paid the girl no attention. Ayane felt like a complete idiot then, slumping her body in a comical way. "Ughhh, who am I kidding?" People worked like cows just to put food in their mouths and make ends meet. So who was she to jeopardize someone's business like that? Hell, what if that confectionery stand wasn't owned by the angry vendor in the first place? Would the real owner chastise the man for letting his stand be robbed? Her guilt doubled and she felt the urge to vomit the sweets she just consumed.

 _I can't just apologize. I have to get some money to pay for that stupid mochi! But how..?_ Frying her brains out as she began walking back to the main road, the patrolling group of the feared Shinsengumi suddenly came into view, stomping their way while everyone scrambled to the side. Ayane found the whole scene funny and imagined the so-called Kyoto special police force like a huge fish and the people similar to the ocean parting as the fish take a dive. _A gigantic blue fish, that is. Seriously, I don't get why their uniforms are so flashy._ She let out a small giggle, but then realized—quicker than her mind could conjure—how foolish her actions were. Truly, it was a grave mistake in her part, for she was the _only one_ standing in the middle of the road, blocking the path like an imbecile.

"Move out of the way, woman!" one soldier came close and shoved her aside.

All previous thoughts forgotten, Ayane's ears fumed with indignation, standing back up to hit the soldier with an uppercut to the chin. "You could've said it nicely, you moron! How dare—"

A gentle hand stopped the girl from pulling her katana out of its sheath and Ayane found herself staring at twin irises of amber that were mesmerizingly similar to molten gold, accentuated by the sun's rays. Ayane had always loved gold as she associated it with resplendence, passion, and victory; it was her favourite colour. Her clothing would—without fail—require anything that possesses a touch of gold. In fact, the obsidian kimono she was wearing had intricate golden patterns that perfectly matched her tawny obi. "Woah, not too rash now, miss.."

His locks of cayenne seemed to be combed only by fingers for it to appear a little spiky, giving him that virile charm. _If he used just his fingers to fix his hair like that.. Ahh, I wonder how satisfying it is to have such silky, manageable hair.._ The universe seemed to have taken a pause from functioning—for Ayane, no less—as she continued to scrutinize every lineament of his charming visage. Never had anyone captured her attention the same way this man did. All of a sudden, she felt the urge to touch the contours of his face. _What a handsome creature.._

"Captain!" the utterance of another soldier brought Ayane back to reality and she shrugged off the redhead's hand. "Makoto is knocked out cold! We should make an example and punish this girl!"

Unlocking her eyes from the object of her interest to face the one who was kind enough to end her fleeting daydream, Ayane began making her way towards the mouthy soldier. "If you don't want to suffer the same pain as your comrade, you better shut your mouth, you fool." She paused; exhaling softly as her ire came dancing back. "I thought you guys were protecting the people?! How come you're just here terrorizing everyone like some.." _Come on, Ayane, this is not the time to stutter! Pay no mind to his stare, pay no mind.._

"…like some terrorists?!"

 _Well, that didn't sound too intelligent.. Good job, *baka._

She heard the patrolling group's supposed captain chuckle and she couldn't help but feel the warmth from her neck creep up to her cheeks. Ayane was about to give him a piece of her mind—and redeem her lost dignity—when he caught the girl by surprise, beaming at her. _Why on Japan was this guy unbelievably gorgeous?! And why on the idiotic rule of the bakufu did I have to meet my type in this situation?!_

"You're not from the capital, are you?" he queried.

"No, I—"

As if on cue, the angry vendor she was running from then showed his face in the commotion. Ayane almost fell sideward when she saw the man nearing them. "You there! Thought you could escape from me you little wench?! Sir! This girl is a thief!"

 _Yep, I hate my life. Damn you, life._ The red-haired captain frowned yet his eyes maintained their soft glow. "Is this true?"

"Hey, thief! Tell the truth! We should have your hand cut off!" added the vendor.

To sweat coins was Ayane's wish to every deity laughing at her miserable life at that moment. "Of all the possible times, he decided to show up here," she muttered. However, her ridiculous wish was soon squashed—with much happiness—when hope knocked on the door of her pathetic state: a lying bag of coins was there; next to the lying soldier she'd just given a rather strong uppercut, obviously causing him to see stars. Scurrying to where it was, Ayane took the small pouch and handed it over to the vendor beside the Shinsengumi captain.

"There. There's my payment for the sakura mochi box! Sorry again, mister!" Ayane practically sprinted—for the second time that day—towards an alley after giving the bag of coins, not wanting the ridiculous, mortifying scene to last any longer. Some of the soldiers tried to chase her but their captain ordered them to stop. "But captain! She took Makoto's money and used it to pay for what she'd stolen!"

Finally, they noticed that the vendor had already vanished as well. "Don't worry about it. I'll give his money back. Now, pick him up and let's be on our way."

No one questioned further and the patrolling group was back on making their rounds to the marketplace—the unconscious soldier being carried by two others tailing behind them. The people who had been watching the hubbub returned to their tasks like nothing had actually transpired.

"Mochi thief, huh?" the red-haired captain smirked as he led his men back to their headquarters.

* * *

The bright moon shone above, looking down upon the now tranquil streets of the capital. Meanwhile, Ayane was still dragging her tired feet, allowing a breath of disappointment. The girl had no place to stay. Again. She had tried every place available, bargaining that she would offer her services as a cleaner or a cook for one day in exchange for one night. Her stomach growled with her continued steps. _Guess confections can't really keep me full for one whole day. On top of it all, I have to sleep outside if my search proves to be fruitless. Hey life, why don't you give me some answers? Oh, the red-light district? Thanks, but hell no._

"ood… ive me... some.."

Ayane glanced sideways and her irritation spiked. There stood a lone man, wearing the accursed, flashy, blue uniform she had begun despising all thanks to her eventful afternoon. Ayane forcibly dismissed the memory of that encounter as her attention jumped to his countenance instead, then to his hair. "Hey, that's really cool! How did you dye it white?" she asked jollily, stepping towards the man.

However, when she analyzed the Shinsengumi soldier, Ayane's chest heaved; her initial reaction to back away. _His eyes look.. I don't know, deranged?_

"Blood… Blood….. I need blood….. Give me blooooood….!"

 _Oh, come on! I'm going to be chased again?!_ The exhaustion and the lack of nutrition in her system were both tugging at her as she dashed. It was actually a miracle that she had not fainted yet. In a heartbeat, the girl peeked at the insane man and was beyond shocked when she saw two more white-haired Shinsengumi psychopaths. _This is not good. I have to cut them down before I lose my strength._

"Huahuahahaaaahhhhhh…! Bloooooodd…!"

"Fine, no more running," was the last thing Ayane said before she gripped her katana and swung at the first man, slicing his abdomen. She kicked the second in his shin and cut his leg; blood spraying all over. Yet as she saw the wound on the abdomen of the first insane man close in seconds, her emotions—mostly anxiety and confusion combined with the pump of adrenaline in her veins—began spiralling. She heard the second one laughing as he tried to reach his severed leg, drawing his tongue out to taste the blood on his palm. The last Shinsengumi psycho then crawled and began to lick the sprayed crimson off his ally's haori.

"S-Stop.. Wh-What is this…?" Clearly terrified of what was happening, Ayane felt her entire body tremble. Truth be told, she had seen many gruesome things in her life but never one as sickening as this. Her hands began to loosen its grip on the katana as the weariness of her body began to pull her down.

With a groan of pain intertwined with distress, alas, the girl fell. Even so, as quickly as her body hit the ground, she lifted herself up with her elbows—vainly trying to stand lest she got killed. This proved to be futile since her lower limbs had given up to fatigue. Maximizing her limited movements, Ayane scanned for her weapon and found it lying near her feet. She utilized all effort to reach for it, willing herself that she would be able to survive this night—no matter how much frightening the thought of her inevitable death echoed in her mind.

"Souji! I think they went here!"

 _What.. That voice… It's him.._

The first deranged man neared Ayane but was halted from further movement by the tip of a spear penetrating his chest. "You.. What are you doing at a place like this, mochi thief?"

"Ne, Sano-san, this one got his leg sliced off," said another voice while Ayane tried to fix her vision, watching the second white-haired psycho's head fall from his body with a swing of a blade. "Oh, we have a witness. Heh, Hijikata-san's not going to like this."

As the two hovered over her, the third insane man bolted at their direction, prompting Ayane to use the last of her strength to vociferate, "Behind you!"

And with that, darkness enveloped her senses as she succumbed to exhaustion, hunger, and fear.

* * *

When Ayane opened her eyes, she found herself inside a room, both hands and ankles bound by ropes that were digging nasty marks to her skin. _This could get infected. I swear, when I get my hands on whoever tied me like this.._

"You're awake," uttered a low voice beside her. "But that should not be a relief for you. You are currently in our headquarters. I have been ordered to cut you down the moment you do anything suspicious based on my judgment. Try to escape and you will die, understand?"

Ayane wasted no effort in responding. _Well of course, how am I supposed to speak when my mouth is covered by this dirty piece of cloth?!_ As if reading her thoughts, the man wearing a white scarf removed the cloth and the rope binding her ankles. He led her outside and into a larger room where a number of men were seated. Glancing at her right, she saw the red-haired captain and the man with emerald eyes who was at that horrifying scene from last time.

"My name is Isami Kondo. I'm the chief of the Shinsengumi. Saito-kun here has already told you that you're in our headquarters, yes?"

A nod was her only answer.

"Kondo-san.. There's no need for introductions," stated the sable-haired man beside him. "Ah, really Toshi? Sorry about that." The chief laughed as he scratched the back of his head. _He's their leader? He looks a little odd and, dare I say it, nice.._

"We were informed that you're a thief and has caused quite a tumult just this afternoon. Now, state your name and what your business is in the capital," said the man called Toshi.

"M-My name is Ayane Katsu. I've just gone here looking for another dojo since the one I was staying in has closed. Plus, I'm not a thief! I've already paid the mochi vendor! Please sir, just let me go!" she tried explaining without much consideration to her words. Her cheeks flared when some of the men surrounding her snickered. _Crap, the red-haired captain has probably told everyone about our first meeting. So much for my reputation.._

Their mirth ended with a single look from the sable-haired man whom she assumed to be one of the high-ranking officials besides the chief. "I'm afraid we can't. This is not about your thievery. Just hours ago, you have witnessed something that must not be seen by anyone. It may or may not be your fault; however, it all comes down to one solution: we would have to make sure that you'll stay silent. But we'll discuss this further tomorrow. Souji, bring her back to her room."

 _At least I got a place to stay the night._ She didn't expect that the person named Souji would be the man—with those eerie irises of emerald—who was accompanying the red-haired captain during her nightmarish experience. _I have a bad feeling about this guy._ On the way back, Ayane felt the rope around her wrists tearing her skin. She closed her eyes in pain while he ushered her inside. "Too tight?" he asked, one fine eyebrow arched.

"Uhh, yeah. This will be infected for sure by tomorrow."

"My bad, shouldn't have tied you that way." Souji's tone was clearly between teasing and threatening—and she found herself desiring to scoop his annoying eyes out of its sockets. He gave her a smirk before making his way out of the room.

"What?! You're the one who did this?! I'm so going to kill you.." Ayane hissed. Souji opened the paper doors once more. "Kill me? How brave of you, Ayane- _chan_. It's too bad since you're the one who's gonna get killed by tomorrow."

The girl widened her orbs in disbelief. "Wh-What do you mean?!"

"It's as the vice commander said. We need to ascertain that you'll keep quiet. Hmm, what other way to do it than to kill you, right? Well, sweet dreams, Ayane-chan." Then he went away after informing her of her death sentence like it was actually a reward. Ayane couldn't help but laugh at her own misery. _Hey life, I really hate you._ Tears streamed down her face as the day's weariness tugged at her again.

* * *

Exhausted hazel orbs squinted as the rays of the morning sun peered through the paper doors. Ayane woke up to see the redness of her wrists worsening due to the tightness of the rope. After a few minutes of cursing her own blasted fate, the man she recalled as Saito walked into her room. He brought her breakfast and thankfully, removed the last binding.

With haste, Ayane ate her meal and—deprived of much contemplation—stomped her way to the spacious room she was brought to last night. She didn't need to hear what they were saying to prove her thoughts. No doubt about it, they're going to end her life. _Well, I've also decided that I won't let that happen, so bring it on!_

"Excuse me but I do not agree with your decision!" she brusquely opened the doors and barged inside. She gazed at the man she recalled Souji calling the vice commander. The others were not present in the room. Only he, their chief, and the man with glasses were discussing her fate.

"It does not matter if you agree or not," the vice commander answered. His purple eyes met hers but she didn't bend to his unrelenting stare. Instead, Ayane furrowed her brows, challenging him with subtlety.

"But you're being unfair! I swear I'd keep my mouth shut to hide your secret or whatever that was. Why can't you just let me go?!"

Suddenly, the bespectacled man spoke. "We can't risk anything, Katsu-san. You would either be killed or stay here to make sure that you would truly remain silent about what you saw last night."

Ayane let out a frustrated groan before responding. "Then I'll stay! To be frank, I've no other place to go anyways."

"You do realize that you're a woman who would be living in a place full of men, correct? I'll be frank with you as well, what do you offer in exchange for us sparing your life?" asked the vice commander, his voice serious and provocative at the same time. Ayane shut her eyes for a moment in hopes to calm herself before she do something idiotic that she'd certainly regret.

"I'm skilled in the art of the blade and combat. Let me join your ranks," she stated right after fluttering her orbs open. Both the vice commander and the bespectacled man didn't appear surprised by this; only the chief seemed to be taken aback. Ayane weighed her options: she would either be killed or stay with these men. Of course, to live would be the obvious choice—even if it meant being with the feared Wolves of Mibu.

"Hijikata-kun, I think we ought to consider her proposition, ne? We'll have to test your abilities then, Katsu-san."

"Perfect. Please let me spar with the guy who accompanied me back to my room last night." Her answer was without uncertainty and that was not surprising—for Ayane, at least—since she had earlier sworn that she would make that _Souji_ pay.

Hijikata raised a brow at her plea. Kondo's expression was a mixture of shock and worry, and truth be told, Ayane found it endearing. _I'm starting to wonder if he has his own child.._

"Then it's settled," her supposed sparring partner said after sliding the door open, the glint of mischief clear in his emerald eyes. "Let's see how skilled you truly are, Ayane-chan."

"Souji, I don't think she can go up against you. Heisuke! Nagakura! Stop eavesdropping and come inside!" Hijikata shouted and both men—whom she also recalled to be present during her interrogation last night—came scrambling inside the room. "This sparring match will determine whether you can really join us. And you will face.."

"Him," he pointed towards a young man, boy rather, who has long light-brown hair tied in a high ponytail. "Haaaah? Why me?! I don't want to hurt a girl!" exclaimed Heisuke.

 _A girl, eh? You'll regret your words later, kid._

She put on a mask of politeness and let her gaze soften. "I sure hope so. Heisuke-san, was it?"

"Ah, I'm Heisuke Toudou! Just Heisuke is fine. Can I call you Ayane-chan, too?" To say that his blush was quite obvious was clearly an understatement. _Awww.. He looks adorable. I might be able to let this kid off the hook if his cuteness keeps up._

"Sure. Let's go then." Ayane followed him to the sparring grounds at the back of the common room, right beside the dojo. The others also went with them to watch the bout that would determine the girl's fate.

"Two strikes to win. Begin!"

As quickly as it had commenced, Ayane's spar with Heisuke surprisingly ended with the latter sporting a shiner. Hijikata smiled knowingly as he announced the winner. "Congratulations, Katsu. You can now—"

Intentionally, she paid no attention to the vice commander and went over to the muscular man who was teasing Heisuke and how he lost to a 'little lady.' "Nagakura-san, I presume? If I may be so bold, I would like you to be my next opponent."

"Hey, hey, aren't you going a little too fast? Overconfidence has caused a lot, even the strongest warriors, to stumble down, you know."

Ayane dismissed his words and stood in a defensive position, waiting for Nagakura to attack. He acquiesced to her challenge and proceeded to strike the girl. Coordinating her flexibility with speed, Ayane won the match quicker than her spar with Heisuke. It was clear that everyone was not expecting her to win this time. Adding to the triumphant swell of pride she was feeling, she looked at the expression of the men around and saw that they were all stunned by her victory—including Hijikata.

"Now Hijikata-san.. Can I have that match with Souji-san?" questioned the female. The vice commander didn't get the chance to answer for Souji was in front of Ayane in a flash. Their wooden swords collided and everyone couldn't believe their eyes: it was very much like watching Saito and Souji spar. All noted that her swiftness put up for her strength disadvantage against her larger and visibly stronger opponent. Neither of the two were paying attention to the men's chatter; their goal was to strike the other down and at that moment, nothing else mattered.

Similar to what had happened with her earlier matches, Ayane made the first move, causing Souji to change his tactics and parallel with her speed. She used another technique to counter his attacks this time and after a few more clashes, her dimples showed as she saw an opening. The girl wasted no time and made her final charge, hitting him on his torso.

Nonetheless, it seemed that she got entranced in finally exacting vengeance upon him and proceeded to charge again even when her name was announced the winner. So when Souji's bokken flew from his grasp, Hijikata held fast onto her to prevent the girl from making another strike. "Stop now! You've proven your skills. Didn't you hear me earlier?"

 _No, this isn't enough. I need these boys to learn about the consequences of underestimating a female adversary._ "One last sparring match, Hijikata-san; with the guy who brought my breakfast this morning."

"I accept." Ayane peered over to see the indigo-haired man making his way towards them. There was no need for a cue to start the spar because the two were already going at it the second their distance had shortened. Their fight was the longest amongst the others and she realized that he was the most difficult one to defeat. Leaving the men—Nagakura and Heisuke in particular—open-mouthed and awestruck for the fourth time, the girl had managed to prevail still. The two bowed to each other as Kondo began clapping his hands. "Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

"I wouldn't call beating my captains like that amazing, Kondo-san.. But you've shown your real abilities, Ayane Katsu. I must admit that I'm impressed," Hijikata uttered, prompting Ayane to bow before the men.

"Thank you, sirs. To be honest, I'm fairly certain that your captains would be able to beat me the next time we spar. I emerge victorious not because I'm stronger than them, but because they've underestimated me since I'm a woman," she said and surprised them further with a different weapon this time: with a smile. Ayane let her words hang for a moment and crossed her fingers, hoping that these men would absorb them positively.

"Allow me to welcome you to the Shinsengumi now, Katsu! You won't turn back on your words, right?" asked the chief happily, breaking the short silence which was turning into a rather awkward moment.

"Of course. You'll kill me otherwise." Her reply had caused all but Souji to laugh. _Still bitter about losing to me, eh?_

Hijikata probably decided that it would be wise to continue the introductions this time. "We have pledged allegiance to the shogun and our job is to protect the capital. Unfortunately, as of late, our reputation has not improved, which is why I will not tolerate any form of abuse towards the people."

"Eh really? Then vice commander, why did one of your soldiers pushed me, a civilian, yesterday at the marketplace?" Ayane quipped and she saw Hijikata's expression turn into a grimace. Quite visibly, he seemed to be aware that the girl was trying to turn the tables and provoke him as payback.

Ayane's lips turned upward and resolved that maybe, being a part of the Shinsengumi was her destined purpose as to why she went to Kyoto in the first place. _I'm going to make the best out of this_ , she thought. _Especially since I'm the only woman here._

Just when she was contemplating how her life would turn out with the Shinsengumi, the captain—whose looks had ridiculously caused her to almost swoon at first sight—approached them. "I'll buy you some *dango if you're still mad about that, Ayane-chan." She could feel her composure unsteadying as their eyes met for another cosmic moment; well, for her, at least. _Calm yourself, Ayane.. Breathe.._

To her relief and admittedly, annoyance, Nagakura called his attention. "Ah, great timing Sano! You wouldn't believe it but she managed to beat every single one of us. Including Saito! You oughta have a match with her too!"

"Told you she's amazing, Shinpachi." _Oh, so that's his first name._ "Think you can do me the honors, Ayane-chan?" the man she now knew as Sano asked. All the girl did was offer him a curt nod and positioned herself in a fighting stance. For the fifth time that day, the others would be able to watch her beat another man double her size. Heisuke and Shinpachi were already betting on how long it'll take for her to finish the match. The bespectacled man, Kondo, and the vice commander had left them, already knowing how the spar would end. Souji sat beside Saito, the former still bitter about his lost and decided that watching—no, learning—her moves would come in handy the next time they fight.

A minute had passed and the girl's feet were still glued to the ground. Sano thought that maybe she was strategizing a move that would take him down with little to no effort. Though he didn't see the matches firsthand, the shocking truth remained that she had managed to beat four captains; so he needed to carefully plan his attacks in order to win. Furthermore, he had seen her hit one of his soldiers last time so he's fully aware that the girl was exceptional for someone her built.

Unknown to the men, she wasn't really strategizing, planning, etcetera. In fact, the sole reason why she hadn't attacked yet was because she felt comically similar to candied jelly—her limbs wouldn't heed to her command no matter how much effort she exerted. No, it wasn't due to exhaustion nor fatigue; she could still fight. Ayane inwardly berated herself for being extremely stupid, trying to squash the tiny butterflies inside her stomach.

There was no denying it. She's developed a crush on him. The thought of herself as a lovesick puppy was repulsing her to the core. And just because he was her crush didn't guarantee her freedom to act like a total idiot around him. She must make her move immediately and end this match, once and for all.

"Shinpatsu-san, Ayane's hands are trembling.." commented Heisuke.

"Eh? Don't tell me she's scared?" replied Shinpachi who wasn't taking his eyes off of the two. "Wha—She's afraid of Sano?"

 _These loudmouths.._ Ayane huffed in irritation and willed herself to dash towards her fifth opponent, her sword raised to deliver the first strike. Sano blocked her charge with ease, causing the girl to lose balance and fall to the ground face first. All she could do was shut her eyes and brace herself for the impact. _So much for my fifth victory.._

Yet it seemed that the odds were never in Ayane's favour; for instead of the ground, her face bumped into the warm, hard chest of her sparring partner as he wrapped an arm around her waist for support. "Ooops! You okay, Ayane-chan?"

No words would form in her lips no matter how hard she tried to think. Her mind was going haywire especially after realizing the position they were in. Ayane was positive that her face was utterly similar to a ripe tomato at that moment—and she wanted to tell Kondo that she's taking her words back and they could just kill her instead.

"Ya just can't get enough of the ladies, huh? Congratulations, Sano! You ought to be given the flirt-of-the-year award!" hollered Shinpachi as he stood and went over to them. Heisuke couldn't contain his mirth either and added, "Maybe Ayane-chan is frightened by spear-users!"

"Yeah, that's it! Finally, Sano! Your charms didn't work this time!" Shinpachi continued his teasing. Ayane snappily removed herself from his embrace, trying her best to hide her stained cheeks. She wanted the earth to just open up and swallow her. _This is unacceptable! How could this guy have such a strong effect on me!? And we've only met yesterday!_ Without much thought, she bowed in front of her opponent. "You've won, sir."

Sano blinked twice as he processed her words. "Wait a moment! I didn't even land a strike, so why are you suddenly conceding? What's the matter?" he asked, amber irises filled with slight worry. It was then that Saito decided to speak. "The girl has had four consecutive spars so it's only natural for her to be tired. Sano, you should take her to her room. We will have our proper introductions at lunch."

 _Why Saito-san? Why must you order him to do so? I can perfectly walk on my own!_ "Ah! That's not necessary. I'll see you all later," she stated and took a deep bow. Ayane forced herself to walk properly despite the urge to run. This was actually one of her biggest problems. Whenever she develops a crush on someone, she loses the ability to think, act, or speak properly. This dilemma was caused by her childhood crush who had graciously trampled her innocent perception of love and marriage; and to describe Ayane as being badly hurt would be a huge understatement.

Burdened by her painful experience, she started disregarding men while she blossomed into a full-grown woman. Turning down suitors and marriage proposals became her favourite pastime when she was fourteen until her sixteenth year of existence. At her current age of nineteen, Ayane should already have her own family—yet here she was, acting like a *ronin who was given mercy by the Shinsengumi simply because she could wield a blade despite her gender.

And now, she's faced with another idiotic burden of being infatuated with the red-haired captain. He was, in fact, the second man to ever capture her interest—after almost seven years. And at first sight no less!

Letting out a sigh, Ayane opened the doors to her chamber and plopped to the floor. The sparring fights were indeed tiresome; she was feeling famished just by pondering what her lunch would be. Being ungrateful was something Ayane detested but if she were to be honest, the contents of her breakfast tasted much saltier than the average meal. _Guess these men really need the touch of femininity in their lives for a change._ She resolved that if her lunch would taste—again, she's not being ungrateful, just trying to help—awful, then she would volunteer to be their cook. After all, another talent Ayane had would be the ability to work magic whenever she's in the kitchen. _Wait a second, they haven't returned my stuff yet! And my swords too!_

As if some deity heard her inner protests, Ayane heard someone outside and she immediately rose to her feet. "Please, come in."

Her hazel eyes widened as Sano slid the doors open; in his large, bandaged hands were her satchel and swords. Placing her things against the wall to her left, he offered her a bright smile. "I suppose the other guys had the chance to befriend you while I'm out on patrol. Mind if I sit, Ayane-chan?"

"S-Sure." Ayane's breath hitched but she tried to remain passive as she sat down—gracefully this time—and beckoned him to do so as well. While she'd like to take a look at his beautiful amber orbs again, Ayane felt more butterflies inside her stomach so she merely lowered her head. Without warning, his cheerful voice snapped her out of her trance.

"I believe our last encounter can't be considered a pleasant one," he uttered, slightly giving his cayenne mane a scratch. "And I heard that you'll be joining us from now on. So we might as well get along.. What do you think, Ayane-chan?" His visage showed no signs of lying and she felt like immediately trusting him due to his sincerity.

Unable to make a proper response, she nodded, showing with that simple gesture that she did agree with him.

"Great then! Saito said we should introduce ourselves to you later at lunch but I think it's fine if I do it first." Sano laughed a little before continuing, "After all, I'm the one who brought you here in the first place.."

Ayane's blush came flooding back as she realized his words. She lost consciousness during her horrific encounter with those white-haired men—moments after seeing Souji and Sano there too. _And since he said that he did bring me here.._

...So that meant Sano was the one who had carried her all the way to their headquarters. Insecurity clouded her thoughts and Ayane couldn't help but apologize. "I-I'm sorry if I'm heavy or anything! I—"

"Hey, hey! I didn't come here to tease you about that.. And you're actually pretty light to carry, you know. Really, it's no big deal!" He quickly answered, waving his large hands. Ayane bit her lower lip and gave him another nod.

"Anyways, you've met the soldiers of the tenth division during our patrol last time so you're probably aware that I'm a captain. My name is Sanosuke Harada by the way," he added and offered the girl another warm smile.

Sanosuke would never know the giddy feeling he was causing Ayane to experience with every beam he gave her. She then raised her head to finally meet his gaze; hazel pools colliding with twin shields of amber. "I-I'm Ayane Katsu," she sputtered.

His chuckle tickled her ears once more. "You're being too formal. Well, when you need anyone to spar with, don't hesitate to ask me, alright? Anyways, nice meeting you, Ayane-chan." At this, the girl's lips turned upwards ever so slightly, her dimples deepening a little.

With one last smile and an unnecessary—but heartwarming—ruffle of her chestnut tresses, Sanosuke stood and walked outside her room, telling her that lunch would be ready soon. Ayane closed the paper doors and sank to the floor, her flushed face buried in her palms as she mentally slap herself for acting so immature and pathetic. She thought that maybe a quick bath before lunch would help her ease her nerves. Dragging her gaze to the satchel, Sanosuke's gentle voice echoed when her mind replayed their previous conversation—the thought of bathing left forgotten.

"And I'm enchanted to meet you, Harada-san," she whispered, dimples finally showing as she hugged the satchel tightly to her chest.

* * *

*Sakura mochi – a type of rice cake eaten during spring, wrapped in salted cherry leaf (also edible). There are two kinds of sakura mochi: the chomei-ji sakura mochi (Edo), which is a crepe-like, flat rice cake; and domyo-ji sakura mochi (Kyoto), a thicker, coarsely grinded version of the traditional wagashi.

*Mon – a cheap bronze coin which was used from the Muromachi period up to the era of the Tokugawa (1336-1870). One ryo (gold currency unit) is equivalent to 4000 mon.

*Baka – Japanese word for fool, idiot, or stupid.

*Dango – another type of wagashi or Japanese confection. These are dumplings made from rice flour skewered onto sticks and are eaten throughout the year.

*Ronin – means masterless samurai.

 **RK:** Actually, Shinpachi, Sanosuke's charms _did_ work lololol. More info about Ayane? The katana is not really her preferred and dominant weapon. Plus, she has an awful past that would dwell on most girls' issue (even right now): beauty and physical appearance. All would be revealed in time, haha. I hope you'll come to love her and the other OCs as well.

 _ **Up next…**_ Time for Souji Okita's love interest to be introduced in the second chapter of Visions of Forever: You and I, Part I! Stay tuned, minna-san..


	2. Part I - Meeting My Saviour

**RK:** I've actually began typing this while I'm riding the train after another long day at the university. You know, once inspiration kicks in, you just can't stop yourself. To be frank, I'm more enthusiastic to write this than conceptualize the theories in our research. Oh well, still praying for the best..

 **Part I – A Fated Encounter? (Meeting My Saviour)**

"You lazy whore! Why are my clothes still wet?!" bellowed a woman of not more than forty years old. Covering her thick frame was a ruby kimono of the finest quality paired with a beautiful floral sash—no doubt showing that she was not a mere commoner. In fact, the middle-aged female was the lady of the house; the wife of a wealthy landlord who had an enviable power to pull strings in the government and managed several commercial structures in Kyoto. In addition, the woman owned a frequently-visited *ochaya in the red-light district. An ornate fan was at her hand; its price enough to purchase three days worth of food for a peasant.

"F-Forgive me, *haha-ue. I forgot to hang them while I was helping the maids in the kitchen," her lips quivered as she saw the older woman's hand moving to hit her. Eyes tightly shut, the sound of a palm slapping against her cheek was already expected. It wasn't painful anymore; she was very much accustomed to this kind of treatment. "Didn't I tell you not to call me that, you filth?!"

The girl bowed her head, bangs curtaining the tears that were threatening to fall from her orbs of cerulean. Her stepmother threw the soaked garments to her face and left without another word. Hinata Mikoto may possess the blood of her wealthy father but as an illegitimate child, she was treated more like a slave—worse perhaps, since the lady of the house would show every now and then how much she loathed the girl. Even the servants were no good. They often gave her those stares full of hatred and prejudice. She had no idea if her stepmother had anything to do with it; either way, Hinata can't stop them from giving her the cold shoulder every time they crossed paths. All she could do was avert her eyes and walk as if they don't exist.

The first time her father had spoken to her—and it had never happened again in the decade that passed by—was when she was brought by her biological mother in front of the landlord's manor; claiming that Hinata was his daughter by blood. Having an affair with one *geiko his whole life, the man didn't hesitate and accepted Hinata who was merely seven at that time. Her mother, the once drop-dead beauty famed in *Shimabara, never returned nor visited her only daughter afterwards. And unfortunately, she had no knowledge of her whereabouts up to this day.

If she were to be honest, Hinata wished that her mother didn't leave her in the rich landlord's care. Her childhood before living with a large household was blurry yet Hinata was betting that she had more freedom then; devoid of the harsh treatment she was experiencing with every breathing day.

Nevertheless, fate was cruel enough to make her forget the face of her own mother and how she was like to her. Did she make sure that her daughter ate properly? Did she ever get worried when she saw the scrapes Hinata acquired—if indeed, she had friends—after playing outside the entire day? Did she love her? Hinata was holding on to the vague memories she kept deep within her heart even when they didn't give her a clear picture of her life before. Bits and pieces of scenarios such as spending her hours outdoors, making flower crowns with the wildflowers that bloomed near the forest, and her mother's gentle voice when it was time for her to go to bed—all of these were similar to faded portraits. And again, it brought her melancholy whenever she thought of seeing her real mother one last time; because how was she going to do that if she couldn't recognize her anymore?

Sighing as she dipped a hand to the nearby well, Hinata touched her cheek and let the coolness of the water soothe her bruised skin. Without a doubt, her stepmother would reward the other side—with another slap, that is—if she failed to buy the black tea she requested for dinner.

Yet in truth, her stepmother's requests had actually gifted her with some vantage. These were the only times she was permitted to leave the house and Hinata was fond of the tranquility the night brought upon the streets of Kyoto. Stepping outside—except when shopping for whatever the middle-aged lady demanded—was strictly forbidden and she had learned her lesson the hard way.

Well, what did she expect? It was too easy for the older woman to create punishments that involved physical beating since she didn't carry her for nine months inside her womb. And with every glance at Hinata, she was reminded of the painful truth that her husband bedded another woman. Furthermore, inheriting the lovely face of the geiko had fueled the detestation and insecurity she felt for the girl. Thus, the lady of the house ensured that her own daughter, who was a few months younger than the baseborn child, would surpass Hinata's innate beauty—letting her have nothing but the most luxurious kimono and hairpins enviable to any girl their age. On the other hand, Hinata had never worn anything similar to her half-sister's clothes and instead, covered herself with austere garments fit for slaves.

In a snap, Hinata remembered that she had to make haste if she wanted to avoid her stepmother's wrath. She collected her purse and woven bag then traipsed outside the manor; unconcerned if her cheek was still red. Hinata was mentally counting if she had enough money to buy some spices when suddenly, two fingers poked her on either side of her waist; jolting her senses.

"Where do you think you're going, Hinata?"

"A-Ah Misa! It's just you.. Uhmm _,_ your mother asked me to buy something in the marketplace," she said as she fully faced her half-sister. The younger female gave her a look of disgust before opening her mouth once more.

"Why does she let you alone when I have to be accompanied by servants whenever I leave the house?!" Misa squalled; a nimble finger accusingly pointed at her. Hinata didn't bother making a response. She already knew where this was going.

"Hmph. Well, that shouldn't be surprising to us both." Misa's arms were crossed and she neared Hinata to look down on her, despite being shorter by an inch or two. "After all, why would servants escort another servant, right? Now don't just stand there and let's get going!"

Misa's insult fall on deaf ears—they were anything but atypical, anyway—as Hinata walked on her shadow and relished the chilly night breeze. The manor's entrance was slowly going out of sight when like a tiny bell ringing inside her mind, Hinata realized something. Wouldn't the lady of the house chastise her if they came home and saw Misa with her? Her half-sister had said it so herself; her mother never allowed Misa to go out without chaperones. With the manor still but a few meters away from them, Hinata tapped Misa's shoulder—to which the younger girl burned holes upon her cerulean irises as she glared—and asked her to go back.

"Misa, you can't come with me. If you'd like, let's ask some of the maids to accompany us—"

"Didn't you hear me earlier or are you that stupid?! Why would I need another servant if I had one with me right now?!" she shouted and stomped her way forward; leaving Hinata with the woven bag in her hands. _Yes, it's probably due to my stupidity that Misa never acknowledged me as her sister._

Hinata could only stare at Misa's back longingly; a faint smile appearing on her glum countenance as she followed her quickened strides. _But I still care a lot about you, Misa. Even father and stepmother. And I'd do anything just to please you._

It was about an hour or so before dinner when the two maidens reached the tea store. Hinata politely told Misa that she had to complete her task before they go to Misa's—wherever it was—desired destination. A loud grunt was her half-sister's response and she obediently followed. The request of the lady of the house was her priority; Misa wouldn't be able to complain about it.

After finishing her errand, she proceeded to ask Misa where she wanted to go. She didn't receive any answer and instead, Misa yanked her to the direction of the capital's flower town.

"M-Misa! We can't go to Shimabara especially at this hour! And we should be back home before dinner! Your mother will definitely—"

"Will you quit your babbling?! I don't get why you're this stupid! Are you really sure you have my dad's blood?!" At the mention of their father, Hinata's mouth went dry and was rendered speechless. "Of course we won't tell a word about this to her, you dimwit!"

Two unmarried girls—one with clothing that showed her status while the other was the complete opposite despite both being daughters of a powerful landlord—walked the lighted street of Shimabara together with the other patrons. Misa was so enthralled that she failed to notice the seemingly inebriated man wobbling in front of her. It was too late when Hinata saw him so she could merely gawk as Misa bumped square into the man's chest. "Ack! Hey watch where you're going!"

Hinata wasted no effort and quickly bowed before the man. "Please forgive my mistress, good sir," she spoke in the meekest way possible. However, Misa was apparently oblivious as to what might happen to them if she infuriate the man further—and to Hinata's horror, her half-sister opened her mouth and keelhauled him. "Who do you think you are, cretin?! _You_ ought to watch where you're going!"

"Why, you—!"

"Plus, I advise you to see a doctor and fix your eyesight if you're that blind to not see whoever's in front of you!"

That was the last straw as the drunken man grabbed Misa by her forearm and drew her closer to him; the stench of sake present in his breath permeating her nose. Pupils dilating in fear as her adrenaline surged, Hinata pulled her half-sister away from the man and kneed him between his legs with as much force she could muster in her patella. Hinata thought that they could escape when he fell and howled in pain; but her heart almost went out of her ribcage when she saw four other men nearing them. One look at their fallen cohort and their expressions twisted predatorily.

Challenged by larger and unfortunately, sober adversaries, Hinata was left with no choice but to run. Her inhumane speed caused by her flight response had enabled her to snag the tippler's short sword from his waist. Still enveloped by protective instinct, she held onto Misa's hand as they continued to gallop away from the men.

Yet not having the chance to exercise her limbs—she's the daughter of a landlord, for goodness' sake!—in running, Misa's legs gave in quicker than Hinata had expected; slowing her down as well.

"Gotcha!" shouted the fastest one of the four men, his arm encircled tightly around Misa's abdomen. Her *imouto's scream was the only thing she needed to gather her courage and utilize the skill she had painstakingly acquired from the past years of training herself with dual blades. In a blink of an eye, Hinata pulled the man's *wakizashi and sliced at his arm; careful not to harm Misa in the process. Now holding two short swords, she motioned for Misa to run back home without her. Hinata faced her opponent—his katana drawn for revenge—and silently prayed that her half-sister escape into safety.

The other three also came and positioned themselves in front of her. Void of any doubts, Hinata knew that she was going to die here and now. _Misa, please be safe._ She felt their eyes roaming her entire frame; making it harder to fight the crippling wave of fear that tingled her spine.

"This feisty bitch gave me quite the wound," stated the first man as he lifted his bloody arm for his comrades to see. "You'll pay me with your body before I end your sorry life, little girl!"

"Eheheheh~ Don't be so greedy! Let us have a taste of her too!" added the other one.

"Yeah, yeah! Oh, and where's that other girl? She looks more of an expensive meat to me!"

Hinata flared with rage as the men continued to snigger and voice out lewd remarks about her and her half-sister. No matter how weighty the growing repulsion towed at her, she would endure it so long as her imouto's unharmed. However, the thought of these men defiling Misa was unbearable and she charged towards them; gifting the first one with an X-shaped cut to the chest.

His eyeballs rolled upwards and in an instant, he was on the ground with his blood pooling beneath him. The others widened their irises in complete shock but were all quick to recover as they lunged their swords at her. Hinata was no match for three bigger and stronger foes; she was limited to blocking and dodging their attacks.

Her fears became reality in what seemed like seconds when she was pinned to the ground; her hands gyved above her head and her legs rendered immobilized by her assaulter's weight. Hinata tightly closed her eyes as she willed her mind to block the revolting touches of the men's dirty hands on her still-covered body. She then felt her obi loosening and her outer garments being tugged roughly. Never in her life did Hinata cry out loud for she knew that no one would come to her rescue; but desperate times call for desperate measures, right?

"SOMEONE HELP ME!" her scream was laced with nothing but pure anguish. She gasped for air and hacked in pain, further damaging her larynx. Reopening her cerulean orbs, Hinata's face tossed to the side when a large hand slapped her—a hundred times more afflictive than her stepmother's strikes. "Be quiet, bitch! Yell again and I'll kill you!"

Unfortunately, her throat was already parched so even if she wanted to scream for the second time, it would be fruitless. As she felt their hands upon her again, Hinata squirmed and thrashed violently from side to side. _Please, please just end my life!_

Just when her kimono parted open, the man hovering at her left was thrown away to a nearby stack of wooden crates. The other at her right received a rather strong punch to the stomach and the last one was dragged away from Hinata— _by the hair_.

"IMMORAL PIECES OF CRAP! RAPISTS! DIEEE!" She heard a girl's voice shout in indignation.

 _A girl..?_

Hinata weakly propped an elbow to see what's going on. She scanned her surroundings and saw a russet-haired man near the crates, stabbing her fallen assailant's abdomen before sheathing it on his flesh again—this time straight to the chest. _Where is she..?_ Hinata tore her gaze from the grisly scene to watch a smaller man slice the back of the second lecher and then impale his sword into the forehead of the last.

Directing her eyes to search for the girl, Hinata got more frightened—if that was even possible—when without warning, the russet-haired man was standing before her. His twin emerald orbs were tearing through her very soul, sending shivers down her spine as he continued his stare. Every bit of her will to fight had left her being and Hinata couldn't stop herself from hyperventilating when he crouched down. Were these men worse than her previous attackers? Had they come to desecrate her body too?

"P-Please.. J-Just kill me, I—" Hinata couldn't contain her anxiety anymore and tears began flowing down her battered cheeks. If she were to really die tonight, she would accept it without regrets. Misa had escaped; that's all that mattered.

Suddenly, Hinata was pulled into a tight embrace by the smaller man who none too gently pushed his tall companion aside. "Ssshhhh.. It's okay now.. Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you, miss."

Hinata's walls crumbled down after he uttered those words to comfort her; a delicate hand soothingly rubbing her back. She sobbed for a few seconds to let her emotions flow, trembling at the memory of almost being ravished by vicious satyrs. Hinata was aware that she was crying in front of a stranger but who could blame her? She was so terrified of what could've happened if her rescuers hadn't arrived.

As she raised her head from his shoulder, Hinata furrowed her brows at the sight of his feminine face. Blinking rapidly, she realized that the smaller man was actually the girl she heard shouting a while ago. _Why is she in men's clothing..?_

"Ayane-chan, don't you think you're scaring the poor girl with that abrupt hug of yours? And I'm letting you know that that shove was uncalled for," stated the russet-haired man who was leaning on the trunk of a tree beside them. She watched him sheathe his sword back to its rightful place and cross his arms.

"Oh shut it. You're the one who's scaring her earlier, baka," replied the girl. She then helped Hinata to her feet; dusting her outer garments and tightening the obi around her waist. "We should tend to that contusion on your cheek, uhh..?"

"H-Hinata. It's Hinata. I'm sorry but I must head back now."

She was about to leave when it dawned on her: these two had come to her rescue. These two knew her not but they helped her nonetheless. Clearly, she couldn't just put her trust on them yet but Hinata's heart was instantly filled with joy as the actualization of being rescued from absolute death sink in. Without much thought, Hinata took Ayane's hands into her own and placed her forehead against her knuckles. "Thank you! Thank you for saving me! Thank you, Ayane-sama!"

The russet-haired man's chest rumbled at her utterance of gratitude as he muttered, "Ayane- _sama,_ eh?"

Ayane swiftly removed her hands from Hinata's grasp to wave them in a comical fashion. "Ah, no, no! It's actually this scary-looking guy who heard your scream and voila! Ooooh, but you've got no idea, Hinata-chan! When I saw those vermins upon you, my mind just blacked and…wait! They haven't..! You're still intact.. I mean.. Uhh, we weren't too late, were we?"

Of course, Hinata knew exactly what she was talking about. "No. You came just before they did it." Swiveling her head to her left, she faced Ayane's male companion and allowed her cerulean irises to delineate how grateful she was to him. "Please accept my deepest gratitude, sir. Thank you very much."

His beautiful pools of emerald flickered at the sight of her earnestness which surprised Hinata a bit. Was this man not used to hearing someone thanking him for his good deeds? She couldn't comprehend how this was so. Shouldn't it be normal for people like him to receive praises? Weren't they applauded all their lives?

Maybe she's wrong. Maybe good people weren't thanked enough even after they'd done something heroic. Maybe this man had helped a lot before yet failed to be gifted with appreciation. Individuals who were in possession of genuine kindness were truly rare in these turbulent times—she was lucky enough to have encountered not just one, but two, tonight. Then like being struck with lightning, Hinata became rattled as she remembered that her stepmother would most likely punish her for coming home late.

And what about Misa? She wasn't a hundred percent sure if her half-sister had gotten back safely. Hinata frantically searched for her woven basket and gave the two kind fellows a quick bow before scurrying to the main road. _I have to be certain that Misa is safe!_

In a jolt, Ayane was jogging beside her while the emerald-eyed man merely followed; his long legs enabling him to make bigger strides. "I assume that you're going home now, huh? But nope. You're not going alone, Hinata-chan. Souji and I will be your escorts! Let's see if more of those rapists follow you now.." _Ah, Souji is his name then!_

Hinata didn't respond but there was no denying the warm elation of being with people who were showing concern for her—even though she hadn't the slightest idea about their real identities. She slowed her steps as her two 'chaperones' did the same. After a little while, Souji decided to snatch her woven basket from her grasp which caused her heart to skip a beat. She glanced up to look at his countenance; her eyebrows raised by his sudden action. Rather than meeting her gaze however, Souji continued to stare at the road ahead.

Ayane had probably noticed that her attentions weren't at her so she bumped her shoulder. "Ayane-sama…?"

This caused another chuckle out of Souji; and she could only blink in mild shock as Ayane reached out pass her and pinched the tall man's cheek.

"H-Hey!"

Withdrawing her hand, Ayane sighed before she spoke again. "Drop the -sama, I beg you, or this idiot wouldn't let me hear the end of it later."

Mortification surged over Hinata; colors high on her visage while she stuttered an apology. Ayane's lips quirked into a smile and she joked about her being so paranoid. The chestnut-haired girl also warned that lechers prowled the streets of Kyoto most especially during eventide so pretty lasses like Hinata—and herself, Ayane added—shouldn't go out after sundown. As she became more comfortable with their presence, Hinata boldly asked who they really were and if they were in a relationship. Her question had caused Ayane to snappily halt and look at her as if she had offended her ancestors; her incredulous hazel pools colliding with Hinata's startled depths of cerulean. The brunette was glaring at her yet her expression was anything but terrifying—and truth be told, Hinata was having a hard time stifling a laugh. She watched with mild amusement as Ayane gave Souji a once-over then directed her pupils back to her.

"M-Me and S-Souji..?! A couple..?! Waaaah, Hinata-chan! Nooo..!" stated Ayane; contorting her face to show her an exaggerated repulsed look—to which Souji deadpanned and rolled his eyes.

"Hinata-chan, we're Shinsengumi members and _this pest_ , no matter how unbelievable it may seem, is actually a captain and—uh-oh.."

Unadulterated shock enveloped Hinata at hearing her admission. _Ayane-san and Souji-san are from the Shinsengumi..?_ All color drained from Ayane's face and Hinata felt the urge to tell her that she didn't feel frightened or anything. True, she may have heard rumors and stories about the said group being ruthless—but how could she consider them as such if two full-fledged members had become her rescuers?

"Uhmm, Hinata-chan..? Whatever you know of the Shinsengumi, scrap it! I-I swear we're the good guys! Oi Souji, give me a hand here..!" stammered Ayane.

"Ehhh? How can an _idiot_ and a _pest_ like me be of any assistance to you, Ayane _-sama?"_

Gently taking her woven basket back from Souji, she stopped as they finally reached the main entrance of the manor and turned to fully regard them; bowing deeply and sincerely. "There's nothing to worry about, Ayane-san. I'm beyond fortunate to be saved by two skilled members of the Shinsengumi. Again, thank you so much for your help. I know that I'll never be able to repay your kindness back. Arigato gozaimasu, Ayane-san, Souji-san _."_

She was taken aback when Souji's lips upturned into a smirk. "Be careful next time, Hinata-chan."

Ayane obviously wanted to say something as well; however, the heavy footsteps of Misa, the lady of the house, and some servants, had prevented her from doing so. Her heart pummeled hard at seeing the enraged expression upon her stepmother's countenance. They had most likely been awaiting her arrival. It was also apparent that the older female was ready to give her a physical punishment but she became composed at the sight of the two strangers. "And who might these individuals be?"

"You don't look a bit like Hinata-chan so I'm assuming you're her aunt or maybe a distant relative. Pardon me madam, but let me just say that it's absurd to allow a young girl out at night. You see, Hinata-chan here was assaulted by rapists. We rescued her and took the responsibility of accompanying her home. No need to thank us by the way," answered Ayane. Visibly, the brunette was challenging her stepmother with that sarcastic smile plastered on her face.

"Ill-mannered swine! You have no right to speak to me that way! You rescued this girl? Then what are your motives exactly? Don't tell me you're just concerned citizens?! You're probably awaiting some payment for your _good deeds_ , am I not correct?" the woman retorted; the fan on her hands shaking due to her rising ire. She raised it towards Ayane—after the latter had scoffed out loud—and Hinata's initial reaction was to grasp her stepmother's arm.

"M-Mother, please! These people saved me!"

"You ingrate! How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?!" she vociferated then moved her free hand to hit Hinata—not caring about the very visible bruise on her cheek. _Ayane-san, Souji-san, please don't pity me after this,_ Hinata thought as she squinted her eyes in fear of receiving her third slap of the day.

However, the pain never came and her irises widened to see Souji gripping her stepmother's wrist, preventing the middle-aged lady from hurting Hinata. "Wha—?! How dare you—!"

"Our motives? Oh, I don't know, but the Shinsengumi's main purpose is to protect the peace in Kyoto and we'll be damned if we don't act upon it, ne, Ayane-chan? We couldn't just leave a cute girl in the hands of lascivious bastards," stated Souji; the acid in his tone present on every word he spoke.

"Sh-Shinsengumi..?!" was her stepmother's sole response.

"You got that right, _old woman_. Now if you'll excuse us, we need to go back to our headquarters. Let's get going, captain!" Ayane gifted the lady of the house with a glare and a playful wink at Hinata. Souji released her stepmother's wrist as his emerald orbs went to her, glancing at her battered cheek; his expression slightly softening before he spun and followed Ayane's retreating back.

Lost in his thoughts, Souji murmured something like, "should've tortured them for what they did to you." His voice was almost like a whisper but Hinata heard him nonetheless; chest pounding at the unmistakable concern delineated in that simple—and actually, disturbing—phrase.

Once the Shinsengumi members were out of sight, the lady of the house pulled Hinata's hair while she dragged him inside the large manor—with the servants and Misa trailing behind them. "Ah-Ahh..! It hurts, let go of me..! Please I beg you..!"

"Nao! What're you doing?" thundered a deep voice from behind them. Hinata's chest heaved at the sight of her father walking towards their direction; she wasn't even aware that her stepmother had released her tresses. "Oh, *anata! I didn't know you're back! This? It's but a misunderstanding between me and Hinata. There's no—"

"Stop your lies, Nao," he said before turning to her youngest daughter. "Misa, will you tell your *chichi-ue what's going on?"

"Y-Yes father. A while ago, Hinata and I were at Shimabara when some perverted men attacked us. I was almost raped and killed!" Misa explained.

"How're you able to escape then?"

Misa inhaled a breath before continuing her explanation. "Hinata let me go home by myself since she can handle those cretins.. Father, Hinata can wield dual swords."

With that revelation, the landlord eyed Hinata; his disappointment clear and visible. He faced Misa again to ask for another query. "What are you doing in Shimabara in the first place?" _Misa, please tell him the truth. Please, tell him that it was you whom—_

"Hinata wanted to leave the house but mother didn't allow her to go without an escort. And since the maids were busy preparing dinner and she can't take anyone else, Hinata forced me to come with her so that she could meet with her friends in the red-light district."

"Th-That's not true! Misa, please don't do this! Tell father the truth!" Hinata begged but the landlord's wife shoved her away; causing Hinata to lose balance and landed on her rear. "Are you saying that my daughter's a liar?! Don't listen to her nonsense, anata. You want to know what really happened? This stubborn girl had endangered our child's life! And what's worse, some fools claiming that they're from the Shinsengumi had taken Hinata back safely while Misa was all alone when she got here!"

 _No, that's not true! I sacrificed myself so that Misa can escape!_

"Please, hear me out! Let me explain my side!" Hinata's plea fell on deaf ears as she watched her father walk away from them. "I've had enough. Misa, Hinata, go to your rooms." The servants also went away after their master had left to retire for the night; Lady Nao followed her husband to their chamber and Misa did what she was told, leaving a crestfallen Hinata on the ground.

Pulling herself up, she limply trod to her own room; unconcerned whether her dirtied clothes soil her blanket and futon. Her sole desire at that moment was for her family—even if she had always felt unwanted—to give her another chance to prove herself. Yet Hinata was certain that her little wish was now out of her league, thanks to her foolishness. Thus, for the umpteenth time, Hinata would be crying herself to sleep; if her tears hadn't dried up like her sore throat, that is.

* * *

"Wh-What..? You're kicking me out of the house?" asked Hinata; her voice cracking as despondency seeped into her.

"I can't believe that you're surprised about this. Oh, so you expect that you can get away after you've put my daughter's life in danger?!" Lady Nao's answer had caused fresh tears to pool in the corners of her puffy eyes. According to the universe, crying the entire night wasn't enough comeuppance for Hinata. She wanted to explain herself, wanted them to believe that jeopardizing her half-sister was the last thing she'd do in her meaningless life. _But it's no use. She'll never listen to me._

Her hiccups were audible no matter how much effort she exerted into suppressing her sob. _This is what I deserve for being so weak and stupid. What's the use of my training if I fail to protect my only sister? I'm really sorry, Misa._

"P-Please allow me to pack my things first. I-I'll leave immediately.."

Hinata was about to exit the dining area when the lady of the house made a 'tsk' sound and spoke again. "Imperiling my daughter and hiding the fact that you've been training yourself—I'm sure you understand that the only option for you is to never show your face in this household again. However, you should be grateful to your father. He had sent a letter to the Shinsengumi, requesting that you'll lodge in their compound; with a huge amount of money as compensation, of course."

There were no words that Hinata could form in her mouth. No one in this manor gave a damn about her. Her own father had treated her like some valueless piece of trash. She had doubtlessly lost her chance now. Hinata's self-respect diminished as the feeling of worthlessness devoured her.

"What're you standing there for?! Get your stuff and prepare to leave! They should be here any minute now and I don't want this house to be trampled by the presence of those dogs so you better wait for your escort outside the gates!" Lady Nao demanded. Hinata wanted to thank her stepmother for everything but she didn't want to enrage her further with her presence. Instead, she gracefully bowed deeply then went back to her room. After packing her things, the raven-haired girl closed the screen doors of her bedchamber and proceeded to go.

While she was traipsing at the direction of the manor's entryway, she allowed herself to take in everything she feasted her gaze upon—as if it was her first time being there. Tears flowed endlessly while Hinata etched in her mind every corner and structure of the place where she'd spend more than half of her life. Without warning, her cloth bag was snatched from her hands; gifting her with déjà vu of last night's events.

"S-Souji-san!" she stammered as her brain registered his figure standing in front of her. He didn't say anything and merely beckoned her to continue walking. Hinata turned her face to look one last time at her so-called home—then she finally half-jogged to walk beside Souji.

Unsurprisingly, both were quiet during the travel. Hinata thought that maybe Souji considered her a nuisance; another mouth to feed inside their compound. The Shinsengumi was a renowned group of men who were—as Souji had stated last night—protectors of peace in Kyoto. An unwanted, pathetic girl such as her had no place there.

"How's your bruise..?" Souji's voice pulled her out of her melancholic reverie and Hinata merely blinked before she answered. "Oh! I-I haven't done anything to it.. but it's not that serious. Thank you for asking, Souji-san."

The tensed mood laggardly begun to dissipate as Hinata couldn't help but feel a sort of bliss at his simple query. For someone who had never, not even once, delighted herself in the sensation of being cared for, even the littlest portrayal of concern meant a lot.

"Heh, you say 'thank you' so easily, Hinata-chan. Anyways, care to share why you got thrown out?"

Most probably, Souji was unaware that he was dwelling on sensitive matters. So when Hinata began tearing up again, to say that the panic in his twin emerald orbs was apparent would be an understatement. He didn't know what to say or do; and as he saw Ayane and Heisuke nearing them—they had already arrived inside the Shinsengumi headquarters—Souji exhaled in mild relief.

"Welcome to the Shinse—huh?! Hinata-chan why are you..?! SOUJI! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!" roared Ayane who had trapped Hinata in a comforting hug the second their distance closed. Souji just shrugged and walked away from them; the cloth bag still in his grasp. When Hinata calmed down, she wiped her face with her sleeves and Ayane took this as her cue to talk. "We've heard about your father's letter from Kondo-san, our chief. Ah, this boy here is Heisuke-kun. Hinata-chan meet Heisuke-kun. Heisuke-kun meet Hinata-chan."

"Oi! I'm not a boy, Ayane-chan! Aughhh, not you too!" complained Heisuke.

"Alright, alright. Now, come Hinata-chan! Let's get you to meet everybody else!" Ayane said and she gently held her hand; leading her to a spacious room full of men which prompted Hinata to remember the traumatic memory of last night. Her affrighted expression didn't escape Ayane's heedful irises so the brunette motioned for Hinata to sit beside her. In front of them were three males; then at their right were three others including Souji—her cloth bag sitting on his lap. _Ah, I almost forgot about my things._ At their left, Heisuke took his place beside a bigger man who wore a green bandana.

They were all engaged in their own private conversations, so Ayane seized this chance to tell Hinata—in a whisper, that is—the names of every male in the room. She patiently helped her memorize their names in a short period; starting from Souji, the nearest one, all the way to the man with the bandana whom Hinata now knew as Shinpachi Nagakura.

 _Okay, so, Souji-san.. Saito-san..? And Gen-san to my right.. Then Hijikata-san, Kon-Kanda.. uhmm..?_

"Ayane-san, what's the chief's name again?" Hinata asked in a quiet voice to which Ayane answered with a beam. _Right! Kondo-san.. That man with glasses is Sannan-san.. Then Heisuke-kun and finally, Nagakura-san!_

At Ayane's gentle coaxing, Hinata recited their names to her—still in a whisper, of course—and the brunette leaned towards Souji to tell him that the girl was amazingly quick to pick up. Not used to hearing compliments, a light blush appeared on her countenance. At the exact same time, a tall, red-haired man entered the room then sat beside Shinpachi. _Oh, I better ask Ayane-san who this new guy is._

She dismissed that thought quickly as she got startled with Ayane's movements; the vibrant female unceremoniously tensed up and straightened her posture.

"So, now that everyone's here, let's introduce ourselves to the young miss, shall we?" commanded the chief. His order was nullified by Ayane however, who told them that she had already informed Hinata regarding their names—except one. The redhead swiftly made his own introduction and Hinata contemplated why Ayane seemed frightened by him; when he's honestly anything but scary. As their topic shifted to the landlord's letter, tears welled on her cerulean pools again yet Hinata suppressed them—luckily, she succeeded this time.

She had no idea if Kondo was simply keen since he didn't ask why her father sent her away or if the letter had indicated the reason. Either way, she was thrown like trash by her family and that fact would haunt her for the rest of her existence.

After a few jests regarding another 'jewel' in the Shinsengumi—courtesy of Shinpachi and Sanosuke—it was agreed that she would have to cross-dress like Ayane; yet it's up to her if she wants to be a page or a full-fledged member—but they require a test of her abilities for the second choice. Hinata then asked if she could give her decision tomorrow and implored that she needed some rest.

"Ah, sure sure! Your meals will be delivered to your room," Kondo told her as she was guided by Ayane to her sleeping quarters; which was one room away from the brunette's. Ayane didn't tarry long and left to allow her some shut-eye, not knowing that she wasn't really going to rest.

The day passed in a blur for Hinata. Deprived of any appetite for food, she forced herself to consume whatever they brought to her room for decorum's sake. Hinata spent the remaining hours staring blankly at the floor; pondering, regretting, self-loathing. Midnight slowly came and she left the room then; careful not to wake the sleeping individuals as she walked pass the other chambers. Hinata was craving the serenity which can solely be felt during nighttime—when you're traipsing the hushed streets of Kyoto while you bathe in the moonlight.

Slipping outside the compound, the raven-haired girl haled her feet to nowhere in particular. She got farther away but she cared not if she got lost. Unwanted, worthless beings like her shouldn't fear death; that's where her life's leading anyways.

"Mattaku, Hinata-chan sure is a night owl.."

Twirling around, Hinata was flabbergasted at the realization that she wasn't alone all this time. Souji had been quietly following her shadow the moment she stepped out of their headquarters. "S-Souji-san! Wh-What are you doing here?"

"Why don't you ask that to yourself, hm? Aren't you aware that we kill deserters?" he taunted.

"I am but that rule applies to the members and technically, I'm not a member."

The twinkle in those spellbinding emerald shields caused Hinata to rethink her previous utterance. _Did I anger him..?_

"Ehhh.. Is Hinata-chan trying to get smart with me?" Souji asked and all it took was a single stride for him to close their distance. Unsure of what to reply, Hinata avoided his gaze and fidgeted with her fingers. Her nerves jumped when he abruptly neared his lips to her ear; electricity shooting down her spine while his warm breath tickled her skin. "Leave the compound this late again and I'll kill you."

The russet-haired captain twirled and proceeded to trail the direction back. He expected her to follow but Souji was stunned as her melancholic voice echoed through the empty street. "You really are a kind person, Souji-san. Honestly, I've been thinking about ending my own life since I've always been unwanted anyways. I'm an insignificant, worthless person; that's why my family threw me out. So if you're really serious about killing me, let me say my thanks right here and now."

Souji stared at her incredulously yet the same as last time, her earnestness stirred something from within him. Hinata had reflected the person he once was: the pitiful, broken child abandoned by his sister. If it weren't for Kondo, Souji wasn't the man he was today. He wouldn't be the fearsome Shinsengumi captain of the first division. _No, she isn't like me._ Souji had loathed everyone and wallowed in hate before Kondo had saved him. Hinata, on the other hand, possessed no such abhorrence in her heart. He didn't know her complete story yet but Souji was betting that she was a pure soul whose selflessness became the shattering weight that broke her.

There was a deafening silence between them. Still, Souji wouldn't admit it to himself that he felt like a complete jerk after threatening the girl. Of course, he wasn't serious about it!

"You only think that way because you haven't found out what will truly give meaning to your life. And so what if your family discarded you? You're in the Shinsengumi now and believe me no one gets thrown out of the Miburo," he paused when a wave of nostalgia allowed him a reminiscence of their Shieikan days. "Let's go back, Hinata-chan. You still remember your Ayane- _sama_ 's warning about lechers and pretty girls, yes?"

When Souji turned around again, Hinata finally followed him. No additional words were necessary now. Souji had told her that she just had to search for whatever or whoever would give her life its worth. In addition, he was indirectly asking her to consider the Shinsengumi as her second family—and that they wouldn't treat her the way her real family did. _Souji-san has come to my rescue.. again._

Hinata was certain now; Souji wasn't merely a kind fellow—he was her saviour.

"And Hinata-chan.." She raised her head though she couldn't gaze at his countenance.

"Let's do something about that bruised cheek of yours when we get back, ne?"

* * *

*Ochaya – means teahouse where geisha work and entertain. These are establishments found in geisha districts or hanamachi (literally means "flower town"). Ochaya should not be confused with okiya or lodging house where geisha live.

*Haha-ue – a revered way of addressing one's mother.

*Geiko – term for geisha or Japanese female entertainers in Kyoto.

*Shimabara – one of the three designated yukaku (red-light district) by the Tokugawa shogunate to restrict prostitution to specific regions. The other two are Yoshiwara in Edo and Shinmachi in Osaka. Shimabara later became a hanamachi after the decline of female courtesans.

*Imouto – younger sister.

*Wakizashi – a shorter blade paired with the katana worn by the samurai class. Together, the two swords form the daisho or a matched pair of nihonto (traditionally made Japanese bladed weapon).

*Anata – an affectionate way to call your spouse; means sweetheart or darling.

*Chichi-ue – a revered way of addressing one's father.

 **RK:** You know, while I was typing this, I wanted to slit Lady Nao's throat and smash Misa's head so bad.. Nevermind, haha. Okay, so Souji's girl is more shattered than he was. Why is that, you ask? To tell you the truth, I wanted him to be able to heal someone's heart while he mends his own in the process. With the help of the gang of course!

I hope I didn't make any typos since I'm kind of tired from cramming four term papers. Anyhow, unlike with Ayane, we get to see Hinata's preferred choice of weapon in her introductory chapter so yay! Hmm, still wondering what Ayane's is? I'm offering virtual cookies for correct guesses!

Also, Hinata started living with the Wolves of Mibu a month after Ayane became a member; and yep, the mochi thief was a first unit soldier (which we all know is under the leadership of _her most favorite person_ in Japan).

 _ **Up Next…**_ The third girl is going to be revealed in the upcoming chapter. And whose heart will she be able to capture? Yes, you got it right. The captain of the third division's! Prepare yourself, Hajime Saito..


	3. Part I - I Met A New Boyfriend

**RK:** Our preliminary exams are over and my hands are itching to write this so hurray! For those who adored Hajime-chan, here's a gift from me to you! In all honesty, he was my favourite character when I first watched Hakuouki. He's really cute with all that blushing and stuff, isn't he? A little trivia by the way, Hajime Saito was actually one of the tallest in the Shinsengumi—5'11" to be exact—in contrast with the anime series wherein he was the second shortest (awwww, poor Heisuke).

Oh, and let me thank all those who followed, favorited, and reviewed! It gave me motivation to update quicker despite my mountain of school work, lol. But really, thank you very much! *bows*

 **Part I: A Fated Encounter? (I Met A New Boyfriend)**

 _The capital's a lot busier than Edo.. Hmm, I wonder how *oji-san is doing.._

Eyes the colour of caramel roamed the main street warily and stopped to observe the ongoing commotion in front of a nearby establishment. Ronin samurais were at it again. Those fools had done nothing but cause chaos everywhere they went. They had disgraced the way of the warrior by existing as covetous mongrels who utilized their right to don swords as a means to threaten anyone who wouldn't 'pay' them for serving the emperor. One curious and mildly aggravated Tamaki Tsubasa neared the scene; convinced that cutting down a few ronin wasn't the best action to do initially after setting foot in the capital—but she couldn't just let them maltreat innocent people, right?

After all, she had decided to live according to *bushido from an early age and how can Tamaki call herself a true warrior if she wouldn't act upon it?

"M-My shop hasn't been doing good lately.. D-Don't kill me please good sir!"

"Ungrateful bastard!" shouted one ronin, his thumb moving to raise the hilt of his katana by an inch. "Don't you know that we're working our asses off for the emperor?! Give me your money or you won't be able to operate your business—"

The sharp edge of a *naginata was at his throat before he could continue his ridiculous threats. Many had moved closer to see a young lady throwing herself into the kerfuffle as the ronin gulped at the slight poke—painful but not enough to draw blood—of the naginata's blade. Another one, obviously a compeer, pulled out his sword; yet Tamaki was undaunted. She elegantly dodged his lunges and countered him with a jab in the ribs. Not giving the first ronin a chance to escape, Tamaki swiftly whacked his side using the shaft of her naginata.

As both men fell, the crowd that had gathered to witness the early fuss suddenly gave way to a group of men in light-blue haori but she stood her ground, her expression painted with apathy. They took the two defeated ronin, apparently ignoring her, so Tamaki thought that she could go on her way. Just when she twirled to traipse towards her destination, a man donning a silken white scarf around his neck approached her. "You're coming with us too."

 _This is getting troublesome.._ Her sole purpose for entering the capital was to find her uncle—the last thing she needed was another obstruction. She disrelished wasting time, unused to slowing the completion of whatever task was required of her.

And one of the things Tamaki execrated the most was **delay**.

Without even bothering to consider their number, she directed her weapon at the indigo-haired man's throat—similar to that gutless ronin. If this would be the cause of her delay, he ought to be dispatched; his beaucoup subordinates be damned. The men behind him cocked their heads to glare daggers at her, with some shouting, "Captain!" _I'm right about him being their leader then._ Challenging the speed of light, he drew his sword to swat Tamaki's naginata, surprising her in the tiniest bit. She hastily regained her senses and jumped away, fully aware that she wouldn't have the upper hand in close combat with seven or more opponents. Her mind was conjuring up a strategy when grumblings and mutterings reached her ears.

"Look! The Shinsengumi is going to fight the girl!"

"They probably didn't like that she stole their chance to make themselves heroes again!"

The colloquy of the surrounding civilians had caused Tamaki to raise her brows in bemusement. She then allowed her weapon to lean above her shoulder, walking towards the indigo-haired man while his icy gaze lingered upon her. His inferiors had their hands around the hilt of their blades; every single one of them ready to attack the second the girl did something devious. Quite unexpectedly, the aggravation in her caramel irises had vanished, replaced by mild relief. "You're the Shinsengumi? Great! Please take me to your headquarters."

All were gawking at her with the same perplexed expression written upon their faces—save their captain who narrowed his sapphire orbs in distrust. "I _did_ inform you that you're coming with us.."

"Right, right. I just thought you're going to arrest me, hence my resistance," Tamaki answered in a dull monotone. "But now that I know who you guys are, that completely changes things. Please let me talk to your commanding officers."

He eyed her for another second then gracefully sheathed his katana, vocalizing his command—with a calm but authoritative voice—for the soldiers to move. Tamaki walked beside him; all the while turning her head at his unreadable countenance with every four steps or so. She barely paid attention to the murmurs of the townsfolk as they traversed the street.

Minutes dragged by and Tamaki caught him flinch ever so slightly, obviously due to her unyielding stare. "Is there something you wish to say to me?"

Her gaze remained even as she spoke. "I like the way your bangs cover your eye, that's all."

She saw him flinch again, a little more pronounced this time. Tamaki merely blinked in confusion. _What's his deal? I simply told him an honest opinion._ Dropping that nonsensical matter as they went inside the Shinsengumi headquarters, the sapphire-eyed captain dismissed his men and commanded them to tie the two ronin with the other prisoners for later interrogation. She was made to wait inside an empty room while he called for their commanders. Tamaki carefully placed her naginata beside her on the floor, feeling a tad exhausted from her journey. Her caramel eyes were about to close when the shouji doors opened in a snap. Upon seeing the person in the entryway, her lassitude quickly vanished.

"Long time no see, oji-san," she stated, lips upturning into a beam.

"T-Tamaki-chan?! I-Is that really you..?!"

Her smile widened and she offered him a nod. She then stood from her sitting position, stepping closer to give her uncle a hug. He appeared a little thunderstruck but returned the affectionate gesture nonetheless. "I'm sorry.. It's just that, you're all grown up now.. And so beautiful too!"

Tamaki couldn't contain her giggle as she sensed her uncle's almost tears of joy accompanying those words. "You haven't changed a bit, oji-san."

As the two sat back down on the floor, Tamaki retrieved something inside her yukata and handed him a letter. He looked questioningly at her but proceeded to read its contents. After a moment, a warm smile appeared on his ever kind visage.

"Of course! Tamaki-chan can stay here for as long as you like!" Suddenly, his expression dropped even while his beam remained. "So, your brothers have decided to join the Shinchogumi in Edo then.."

"Yes. That's why, oji-san, I wish to be a member of the Shinse—"

"Absolutely not!" he said firmly.

Sighing as her prediction morphed into reality, Tamaki patted the weapon beside her. "Oji-san, you know very well that I've trained with my brothers ever since I was small. In addition, I share the same ideals as them. So please, reconsider," she impetrated, bowing deeply on the floor. This had definitely and _visibly_ stirred the resolute decision of her uncle to disallow her from joining the Miburo. "T-Tamaki-chan! You don't have to bow like that!"

When Tamaki didn't obey, they were both quiet for a while. An exhale of breath was heard before he uttered again. "Alright, I'll discuss this with Toshi and Sannan-kun.. Err, Saito-kun? I'd like you to ask the vice commander and the general commander to come here."

"Hai. Please excuse me," was Saito's—apparently he's the indigo-haired man—response from behind the doors.

"Saito..?" queried Tamaki, one eyebrow finely arched.

"He's an invaluable member, Tamaki-chan.. The third unit's captain. Saito-kun is very loyal and—"

"Oji-san, I'm simply asking for his full name.."

Laughing sheepishly at his mistake, her uncle's eyes crinkled and it made him appear youthful despite his real age. "Ah, sorry about that. His name's Hajime. Hajime Saito."

The shouji doors opened once more as two gentlemen, one wearing spectacles while the other had sable hair pulled into a ponytail, entered and took a sit on either side of her uncle—both had been eyeing her the moment they stepped in. "Kondo-san, who might this young girl be?"

"Ah, this is Tamaki-chan, my niece. From now on, she'll be staying with us. Tamaki-chan, this is Sannan-kun, our general commander," Kondo announced, the happiness in his tone clear as the sun's rays. Her uncle then turned to the sable-haired man. "And this is Toshi, our vice commander."

"Pleased to meet you, Sannan-san, Toshi-san. I'm Tamaki Tsubasa," she replied politely.

The vice commander's purple orbs were undoubtedly trying to pierce through Tamaki—inwardly debating whether she's simply putting up a good front. Sannan, on the contrary, had instantly offered her a smile yet his calculating gaze had betrayed it. _These guys are too mistrustful. Oh well, I'm not hiding anything anyways. They simply have to take me as I am._

Her train of thought was abruptly cut by a defeated sigh. "If she's the chief's relative, then we've no choice. Case closed, right Sannan-san?"

"I agree. But no worries, Hijikata-kun. Mikoto-kun's father had paid us more than enough money to support even a hundred recruits," answered Sannan calmly, the smile on his face never disappearing. Tamaki was about to ask who this Mikoto was when Saito's velvety voice penetrated her ears. "Sirs, Heisuke had informed me that lunch is already being served." _Oh, he's still outside.._

"Perfect timing! Why don't we all go to the common room then? We'll introduce my niece to the others!"

At his suggestion, the three commanding officers left the room, with Tamaki following her uncle and Saito behind her. Before they walked inside the common room which was bigger and—judging from the laughter and chatter that echoed—seemingly housed more enthusiastic individuals inside, Saito tapped Tamaki's shoulder; causing the bronze-haired girl to face him. "Saito-san?"

"If you don't mind, I'll take your weapon to the dojo since the chief hasn't designated a room for you yet," he told her as he reached out towards the nihonto.

"Uhmm, no. I'm not comfortable when my naginata isn't with me or close to me, at least. I'll just put it.." Tamaki then laid her weapon down the floor a few meters away from the common room's entrance. "…Here."

With that, Tamaki elegantly stepped inside the common room, causing some of the men to quiet down as they regarded the newcomer. She ignored them and took the nearest available seat; beside a light brown-haired man with a youthful face. Saito sat at her left, obviously trying to shun the noise with his eyes tightly closed. Suddenly, a russet-haired man with glinting emerald irises spoke from the rightmost corner of the room. "Hajime-kun's brought a new girlfriend! Heh, you're definitely falling behind, Shinpachi-san."

 _Does he mean that Saito-san already considers me as his friend? I didn't know he's that bonhomous. In that case.._

"O-Oi Souji! You better—"

"To think that we've only met today.. I appreciate that, Saito-san. Truthfully, we're skipping a few steps.. But if you're certain, I'll consider you as a _boyfriend_ from now on too," stated Tamaki, unaware that she had just cut off someone's retort. She didn't bother looking at the chatty emerald-eyed man nor the others. They were all yet to be her acquaintances anyway—but if they were of similar congenial personality as Saito, then she would be more than willing to befriend every male in this room. After all, she had spent her whole life with men; her stay here would be no different. _The only downside is that I hadn't gained a single friend, thanks to my overprotective brothers, so I'm not going to waste this opportunity.._

As if the shogun himself showed up in the room, everyone fell silent at what they heard from her. It was shortly broken by the coughs of her uncle though, colours high on his cheeks. All of a sudden, the atmosphere became uncomfortable and tensed.

"Wh-What Tamaki-chan is trying to s-say.. is.. uhmm.. She doesn't understand such things b-because.. I-It's because she lived without.. uhmm.." Kondo's explanation ultimately faltered.

 _Eh? What just happened? Did I mention something inappropriate..?_

"I think, what Kondo-san's _niece_ is trying to say is that she and Saito-kun are on the path of becoming friends," said Sannan after a while.

Another agonizing moment of awkward silence befell over the room. Thankfully, the vice commander enunciated next. "Now that everybody knows this fact. You lot may refrain from making stupid remarks starting this hour _.."_ he pointed his glare at the russet-haired man before uttering again. "Why don't you introduce yourself now, Tsubasa?"

Hearing her surname prompted the bronze-haired girl to straighten her posture and she gifted everyone with a smile. "Hello. I'm Tamaki Tsubasa. It's a long story as to why I'm here but to put it simply, back in Edo, my four older brothers have enlisted in the Shinchogumi. Since they would serve as mere soldiers there and they heard that oji-san, on the other hand, became the chief of the Shinsengumi, my brothers opted to send me to Kyoto instead.."

The person seated facing Saito spoke afterwards, his hazel irises turning to meet her uncle's. "So, your niece is joining us, huh Kondo-san?"

Tamaki knew that he would still abrogate her previous insistence so she decided to answer on his behalf. "Yes, I've talked to him about this a while ago. Nevertheless, oji-san hasn't assigned me to a division yet and I'd like to meet the unit captains first."

"Is that so? Well, they're surrounding you right now, Tamaki-chan. The third division captain's at your left and that boy at your right is the captain of the eighth unit," apprised the hazel-eyed man with soft lineaments. In fact, the other beside him—the one with jet black hair and cerulean orbs—were also in possession of effeminate features. Tamaki supposed that not all males had mannish appearance then, albeit those who exhibit such attributes shouldn't be treated lesser. Who knows? Their strength might actually compensate for their looks.

"Oh, come on Ayane-chan! You keep saying that I'm a boy when we're of the same age!" complained the light brown-haired lad beside her—to which Tamaki beamed. However, like a wave splashing over her, Tamaki's twin caramel shields narrowed in slits at her abrupt realization of those words.

"Hold on.. _Ayane-chan_? Isn't that a girl's name..?" queried Tamaki. She suddenly witnessed the red-haired man—who was seating beside the eighth division captain—whack his head. " _I-ITAI!"_

"Try filtering your words before they leave your mouth, Heisuke! And Ayane-chan was acting so well too," chastised the redhead. Tamaki caught his small, apologetic smile directed at Ayane—who seemed to avoid his gaze and merely let out a soft exhale.

The vice commander was massaging his temples as he phrased his words. "This is bound to happen, so better today than later. And yes, you're correct, Tsubasa. Both for safety's sake and the morale of the men, Ayane Katsu is disguising as a male and is currently a first unit soldier."

"Ne, Hijikata-san, since you said that it's inevitable.. Why don't we introduce Hinata-chan too? Tamaki-chan, you'll have two _girlfriends_ during your stay here," stated the russet-haired man, obviously provoking the vice commander with that innocent expression plastered on his smiling face. This had earned him a death glare accompanied by a frustrated groan from Hijikata. However, both had failed to see Saito shut his eyes after the word 'girlfriends' had been mentioned. Actually, Tamaki had no idea why he looked so flustered when he wasn't the topic nor even a part of the conversation.

"I-I understand.." uttered a soft, gentle voice beside Ayane. _No way.. Don't tell me she's also.._ "I have similar issues to Ayane-san, hence my pretense.. My name is Hinata Mikoto and I'm under Heisuke-kun's group. Pleased to meet you, Tamaki-san."

It took about five seconds for Tamaki to let this fact sink in. She was staring widely at both girls, inwardly berating herself for not following her previous gut feeling that indeed, their features were feminine. Without warning, another realization hit her and this time, Tamaki's lips upturned into a small grin. "Oji-san, you can't disallow me to join the Shinsengumi now. Not when you have two girls here.. I'll just mimic what they're doing and act like a man. Fine by you, chief?"

Her uncle drew out a long, defeated sigh before making his response. "Please be very careful at all times, Tamaki-chan. Saito-kun, is it alright if you take her under your wing?"

Saito's visage was now devoid of any emotion but Tamaki still caught a tint of a wince which quickly vanished as soon as it appeared. _He doesn't look pleased in the slightest despite our earlier talk about friendships and whatnot. Seriously, I'm starting to get confused by this guy's actions.._

"I don't mind at all. However, the men has already seen her a while ago and I doubt that they won't recognize her even in male clothing.."

"Ah, that's right! Why did I not think of that.. Hmm, let's see. The first and second divisions aren't lacking in numbers.. Then Tamaki-chan, I'll have you team with the eighth unit together with Mikoto-san. Heisuke! I'm counting on you! Please take care of my niece!" pleaded Kondo, his knuckles on the floor and his head bowed slightly.

Heisuke gawked at their chief, half-sputtering, half-agreeing, "Y-You have nothing to worry about, Kondo-san! Tamaki-chan will—"

"Why does the little shrimp get all the ladies?!" whined a brawny man seated next to Hinata.

"Not all, Shinpachi. Ayane-chan is in Souji's unit," the redhead commented and Tamaki found his chuckle infectious, causing her to fight back a giggle.

With an amused look written upon his catlike features, the russet-haired man made a proposal which had caused Ayane's irises to widen by a fraction. "You can have Ayane- _sama_ in your group if you like, Sano-san."

Sano's mirth continued but it ceased with one glance at Ayane and he didn't speak anything more. Apparently, Souji wasn't done yet. With a sly smile, he cocked his head to look at the brunette—her face was graced with nonchalance yet Tamaki saw the rising annoyance in her depths of hazel—who was their current subject, "I'm serious about giving you away to the tenth division if you keep on calling me 'that' in front of my men, Aya—"

"Yes, Captain Okita _._ Please forgive this humble soldier's insolence. Anyway, may I suggest that we eat the lunch Hinata-chan and I have painstakingly prepared for everyone? Hey, Heisuke-kun. I've added your favourite dish so no hard feelings now, okay?"

Tamaki beamed warmly at her words. _Ayane-san's like an older sister to him despite his earlier revelation that they're age-mates.._ Since she was already aware that their interactions mostly escalated into idiotic word wars, Tamaki opted to utter first before anyone could.

"I don't know about you guys but this looks really delicious. Itadakimasu!" When she grabbed her chopsticks, the others finally followed. And whatever Shinpachi would say died in his throat—especially when his stomach grumbled aloud.

Each of the men introduced themselves formally to her after a minute or two, and when lunch was over, Tamaki decided to help Hinata and Ayane with cleaning the dishes. She was also informed that she would have her own sleeping chamber between theirs since—as Sannan suggested—it would be better for the girls to have their rooms close to the captains' in order to avoid being caught off guard by the soldiers. Inside the kitchen, Tamaki was excited albeit partly nervous due to the very fact that this was the first time she was able to interact with females.

As was previously revealed, she had spent her whole life with men. Her mother passed away after giving birth to Tamaki, her first baby girl and youngest child, and her father died from a heart attack when she was small—leaving her in the care of her four older brothers. They treated her like their precious treasure, never lifting a hand notwithstanding little Tamaki being naughty at times. Raised by hardworking bachelors who were all students of the *Tennen Rishin Ryu dojo in Ichigaya, Tamaki became acquainted with *kenjutsu despite her gender. However, her brothers saw fit that she learned *naginatajutsu instead due to its popularity with renowned female samurai warriors. Thus, Tamaki trained harder and harder each day after completing her daily chores. She grew up being taught to be honest at all times; to never lie and always speak her mind.

Tamaki then felt a tad lonely as her thoughts wandered off to her brothers. They may be overbearing and immature recurrently yet she loved all four of them very much.

"You look preoccupied, Tamaki-chan. Is everything okay?" asked Ayane with a light tap to her shoulder, pulling her out of her stupor.

"A-Ah yes. I'm fine, Katsu-san.. I just miss my brothers, that's all."

Ayane's hazel irises glowed warmly and she found her expression somewhat endearing. "You're awfully close, huh? Hmm.. I know! Why don't you and Hinata-chan come with me to the market? I'm craving for some sweets right now!"

The other girl, Hinata, who had just finished wiping the bowls, tittered before she spoke. "Ayane-san, we can't leave the compound unattended. And I doubt Hijikata-san will let Tamaki-san leave when she has only arrived today."

"Don't worry about him," Ayane answered, her lips curving into a smirk. "Besides, Tamaki-chan needs some male garments so why not buy some as well?" These had left no room for argument and Ayane turned towards the exit, grabbing one of Tamaki's and Hinata's hands on both of her palms. "Let's go!"

To avoid getting seized by the captains or worse, by the soldiers, the three hurriedly went outside the Shinsengumi headquarters; with Ayane making sure that no one would see them especially since Tamaki was still not cross-dressing. Of course, she hadn't forgotten to bring her naginata with her, prompting some of the passersby to look at Tamaki with their brows creased. Same as before, she ignored them while Ayane led the two to a dango shop. Tamaki panicked when she abruptly remembered that she didn't bring any money—lucky for her, Ayane told them that she's paying since she got her first monthly stipend. The chestnut-haired girl also jested that the captains had most likely acquired higher salaries yet they idiotically spent them on alcohol and often visited the red-light district. Their conversation went on while they wait for their orders and Tamaki was starting to feel elated as it continued.

"And only Saito- _kyun_ doesn't go out drinking every night!" asserted Ayane before laughing softly as she recalled something important. "By the way, Tamaki-chan, did you understand what you said about him being your boyfriend?"

She blinked twice then nodded. "Of course. I simply agreed to be friends with him."

In a snap, Ayane burst out giggling. She looked towards Hinata who had her mouth covered, obviously trying to curtain her laughs with a cough.

"What's so funny, Katsu-san, Mikoto-san?"

Wiping some tears due to her gaiety, Ayane placed a hand on top of Tamaki's head, gently patting it. "A boyfriend or a girlfriend isn't exactly what you think, Tamaki-chan. Both words are analogous to a lover."

Tamaki was rendered speechless. _So.. So that's why Saito-san became flustered.._ She sighed a bit dispiritedly at her own actualization. "Having to live under one roof with men sure has its disadvantages.."

She was mildly taken aback when Hinata endeavored to cheer her up. "Well, you have us now, Tamaki-san. We'll help you with everything." Tamaki could only smile afterwards. Being around girls certainly had a distinct warmth and she was beginning to truly like it.

"Awww, you're becoming more positive with each passing day, Hinata-chan! I'm so glad!" commented Ayane, her hazel orbs coruscating with glee. "Ah! Since I'm nineteen and you're two years younger than me and assuming Tamaki-chan is too, why don't the both of you call me your older sister from now on, hm?"

Again, Tamaki could merely gift her with a smile. Her earlier contemplation about staying with the Shinsengumi being similar to living with her brothers had now been thrown to the further ends of her mind. "You're three years my senior, Ayane-nee-san. Is it alright if I call you by your name too—"

"Yes, Tamaki-san. Please address me as Hinata from now on," answered Hinata without any hesitation. Their orders finally arrived and Tamaki swore that this was one of the most wonderful light meals she ever had—albeit still feeling full from consuming her lunch.

When the three maidens left the dango shop, Ayane informed them that they would go next to a kimono store for Tamaki's change of clothes. She walked between her two new friends merrily when out of the blue, Hinata paused and faced Ayane. "Ayane-sa—I mean Ayane-nee-san, aren't those Harada-san, Souji-san, and Saito-san?"

Her caramel gaze made a beeline to where Hinata was pointing and truthfully, there they were, the captains of the tenth, first, and third divisions; coming from an intersection and now turning towards them. _I'm betting that they're looking for us.. I hope this doesn't get us into trouble with the commanders.._ She glanced at Ayane, silently asking the older girl what they should do next. Unfortunately, they were already too late since the russet-haired captain had called out to them. She heard Ayane swore under her breath yet her expression swiftly changed into a composed one as she regarded the approaching men. "We're on our way back to the headquarters now.. Fancy meeting you guys outside, ahahaha.."

"Ehhh, really? But you're going the opposite way.. You do know that the first unit is assigned for evening patrol, ne, Ayane-chan? Hmm, if you're planning on neglecting your duties starting today, I might have to kill you.."

Souji's threat didn't frighten Ayane in the slightest; on the contrary, she seemed to be having a great difficulty maintaining her calm state and looked like she wanted nothing but to smack her smirking superior. "I apologize, captain—"

"See what I meant earlier, Sano-san? Seriously, I'd be more than happy if you take her—"

"I SAID I APOLOGIZE, CAPTAIN OKITA. IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN," Ayane cut Souji's words as well, unconcerned that her voice came out a tad higher; yet it only made the latter's smirk widen. Watching their interaction, Tamaki concluded that it was not sincerely a relationship between a superior and a subordinate. _They're more like friends-slash-sworn enemies.._ Ayane may appear to be calming herself but her shields of hazel promised retribution and comically, there were zaps of lightning in the midst of their staring contest.

"Mah mah.. Just ignore Souji's teases, Ayane-chan. Anyways, where are you three heading really?" queried Sanosuke as he glanced at Ayane—causing her to lose the staring battle she had with Souji and avert her eyes to the side. _Ayane-nee-san did that earlier too.. I'm not so sure but, is she afraid of Harada-san?_

"We're accompanying Tamaki-san to a kimono shop, Harada-san," replied Hinata instead.

"You should've asked one of the captains or Yamazaki to escort you, you know," Sanosuke stated, a sigh escaping his lips. "We'll let you off this time. We won't tell this to Hijikata-san, don't worry. Can't have the oni fukuchou chewing out Tamaki-chan on her first day with the Shinsengumi.."

With that, he gestured for the three girls to walk in front of them in the direction going back to the compound. Tamaki resolved that she would simply ask her uncle his permission for tomorrow, so that she could go shopping for her clothes and not sneak outside like what they did today. _Still, it was fun being with Ayane-nee-san and Hinata-chan. So I don't really mind doing this again.._

"Hold on.. You said you were accompanying Tsubasa to a kimono shop and I presume that you are planning to buy her a change of garments. In that case, I suggest we complete this task first before going back," vocalized Saito, jolting the girls. Neither Ayane nor Hinata responded so Tamaki halted her tracks to face the men behind them. "I was planning to do that tomorrow, Saito-san.. Well, the sooner the better. Let's go then."

Souji then neared Ayane and pushed her forward, surprising the brunette but acquiesced to his subtle command nonetheless. "Sorry Tamaki-chan, but we still have patrol. See you later!" However, Souji's countenance didn't appear too cheerful—unlike earlier when he was engaged in irking Ayane to the edge—when he glanced back. And his emerald orbs landed on the cerulean-eyed girl beside Tamaki. "What are you standing there for? It's almost twilight so you're going back with us, Hinata-chan."

Hinata made no utterance and merely gave Tamaki a bow, half-jogging to Souji and Ayane who both resumed their steps. Tamaki saw Ayane turn to offer her an apologetic smile as she swatted Souji's hands on her shoulders—plus, she also heard her gripe, "stop pushing me, you pest!"

"Oh well, gotta help Souji guard our ladies. You go with Tamaki-chan, Saito," announced Sanosuke, waving back at them while he walked a tad hastily to catch up to the others. Saito didn't say a word as he led Tamaki to the nearest kimono store; waiting outside as if he were her bodyguard while she chose from the available garbs. The shopkeeper's lineaments were painted with bafflement when Tamaki picked some clothes designated for men; even so, she pried not and went to wrap them without further questions. Saito walked inside the shop to see if she was finished choosing when Tamaki remembered that she had no money with her—and since Ayane was not present anymore, her face contorted in horror. Saito didn't fail to notice this and asked, "what's the matter, Tsubasa?"

Approaching the pair, the shopkeeper told them the cost of her purchase. Tamaki resolved that she would just come back for it tomorrow and was about to tell the old lady to reserve her chosen clothes when Saito handed the payment to the shopkeeper. She stared at him and marveled at how sharp he was at sensing others' predicament. She wanted to thank him then and there but was interrupted by the kind old lady's little query. "I was wondering why you didn't pick any female garments, miss. Now I know why. You were choosing for your _boyfriend_ , weren't you?"

Tamaki was already knowledgeable of what that word meant, thanks to Ayane; however, it would be a bigger problem if she denied the shopkeeper's assumption so she opted to play along.

"Yes, you're right, ma'am. Thank you very much!" she uttered sweetly and tugged on Saito's arm, gesturing for him to go. Once they were outside, a cloud of awkwardness enveloped them both as they head back to the Shinsengumi compound. Tamaki was feeling suffocated by her companion's silence and poked Saito on his shoulder—prompting him to stare widely at her, his cheeks blushing a deeper shade of red. "Wh-What is it, Tsubasa..?"

"I just want to thank you, Saito-san. I'll pay you once were back in the headquarters.."

"Th-There's no need for that," he reacted quickly, focusing on the road ahead as he willed his blush away. Tamaki exhaled and decided it best that she explained herself. "During lunch, I thought Okita-san was referring to us being friends and not lovers. I'm not aware of what boyfriend or girlfriend really meant until Ayane-nee-san told me so I'm sorry if you feel awkward or anything.. And regarding what happened inside the shop, I thought it would be more troublesome for us so I simply agreed to the shopkeeper's question.."

"You don't have to explain yourself, Tsubasa."

A frown made its way to Tamaki's countenance, causing Saito to become slightly alarmed. Did she misunderstand his words? Was she angered that he asked her to drop her explanations? Should he also explain himself?

"Okita-san's joke had unfortunately created confusion but I was serious when I said that I'll consider you as my boyfri—I mean friend, Saito-san. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to be called by my first name, for a start."

She had no idea why his cheeks were flushed again so Tamaki thought that maybe, he didn't really want to befriend her. She was proven wrong when he replied after a few seconds, unaware that they had already reached the entrance of the Shinsengumi headquarters. "I-I see. B-But I think it's only right that you do the same.."

Satisfied by his answer, Tamaki bowed before Saito and gifted him with a warm smile. "Then, Hajime-san, we're friends from now on, okay?"

* * *

*Oji-san – literally means uncle in Japanese.

*Bushido – the samurai way of life or "the way of the warrior." Its roots came from Neo-Confucianism and blossomed during the more peaceful times in Edo period. Bushido also has influences from Zen Buddhism and Shintoism.

*Naginata – a nihonto in the form of a polearm. Female warriors that belong to the samurai class or onna-bugeisha mainly utilized the naginata; it was their iconic weapon.

*Tennen Rishin Ryu – a type of kenjutsu founded by Kuranosuke Kondo in the late eighteenth century. In 1839, the third successor of the Tennen Rishin Ryu, Shusuke Kondo, established the Shieikan in the Ichigaya neighbourhood located in Edo. He adopted Katsugoro Miyagawa, who later became Isami Kondo, to be his successor after witnessing the skills he possessed as a student in the Shieikan.

*Kenjutsu – the art or technique of using a sword.

*Naginatajutsu – the art or technique of using a naginata.

 **RK:** Again, I'm so glad that Tamaki's preferred weapon is revealed in her debut just like in the previous chapter. So, Hinata has dual swords and we've got a naginata (if you look it up, it's much like a glaive) for Tamaki. Ayane's will come around.. soon, lol. And if you're wondering where Ayane got her nickname for Saito, uhh, just watch _Hakumyu Kakizome Part 2_. *winks*

You know, I don't particularly like over-glorified or beastlike women; hence Ayane, Hinata, and Tamaki aren't unbeatable macho girls. However, they all can fight for themselves. I made their characters like that because I absolutely hate damsels in distress. Like come on, men may be biologically stronger in the physical aspects but it doesn't hurt to know how to defend oneself, does it?

Anyways, I just want to point out that Tamaki went to Kyoto during summer—which is why she's wearing a yukata—and almost two weeks after Hinata lived with our beloved men. Summer in Kyoto usually begins in June and since Ayane met the very handsome Sanosuke.. (stop with your biases, Ayane! **I am** the author here!) I mean the Shinsengumi during springtime, I can say that it's around mid-April and May when she became a full-fledged member.

Ah, and I'd like to know what you guys think of my OCs so far (I'm babbling too much haha, sumimasen). Three girls down, two more to go!

 _ **Up next…**_ It's the captain of the second unit's turn to meet his lady! Wonder how she'll deal with the Roshigumi's number one swordsman (refer to Hakuouki Reimeiroku bonus episode 2), Shinpachi Nagakura-sama? Find out in the next chapter!


	4. Part I - Nice Meeting You, Mr Sunshine

**RK:** Why hello there, beautiful readers. I'm so happy that a lot had been sending me messages regarding this story (uhmm, reviews are welcome too, hahaha). It made me more eager to update fast! Anyways, while I greatly appreciate your pms, there was one or two that actually caused me to almost drop the coffee I was sipping. So you guys want me to write smut for the pairings? Well.. *scratches head* I haven't written steamy contents in ages.. And we're still in the first part! Let's deal with those things when Ayane and Souji become best friends.

…which is never going to happen so forget it. Just kidding! Bwahaha. Let me introduce the fourth girl for now, ne?

 **Part I: A Fated Encounter? (Nice Meeting You, Mr. Sunshine)**

"Breakfast is ready!"

Locks of titian hair bounced up and down as the girl excitedly went inside the house, right after releasing the wooden weapon she had been training with for the past hours. She snatched the tray of food from her mother's grasp—who wasn't in the least surprised by her action—and merrily went to the dining area, placing it on the floor as she plopped down and waited for her parents to join her. Her father, from whom she had inherited those energetic magenta irises, entered the room as well; followed by her mother who was holding a pot of steaming tea.

"Alright, let's eat! Itadakimasu!" uttered the girl after the married couple took their respective places facing their only daughter.

Megumi Saiga had always loved the rapturous feeling of enjoying a meal with her parents. Her mother was terrifically a great cook and her father always supplied jokes in their hearty conversations. That was why despite her wish for siblings, Megumi felt totally satisfied by having just her parents with her. They may be strict at times but they lavished their only child with many things other than love and attention—though they were aware that she wasn't really materialistic. Still, being a well-off merchant who traveled often to sell goods to nobilities, Megumi's father always brought her gifts from his journey. The only downside to it was that she missed her father's jolliness which was their home's source of warmth. Of course, she knew her worrywart mother did too; and it pained Megumi to see her dreary whenever they bid her father goodbye.

And today, he was going again, just after spending three days with his family.

"Aww, cheer up, Megu-chan! That expression doesn't suit my beautiful daughter's face. Anyways, I still wonder why you don't want to see your dear old _papa_ smiling when you finally marry someone!" the merchant said, comically wiping fake tears from his eyes. "Right, Mitsuko?"

The older female smiled in response before answering. "She'll marry when she wants to, anata."

"But she's already seventeen! Don't you want to see our grandchildren blessed with both of our good looks too?" he whined. Megumi simply rolled her eyes; this topic had been brought up by her father ever since he returned from his last trip. When she queried why this was so, he had explained that he got so envious of an old man walking with his grandchildren on the street. "Seriously, father, are you that eager to become a *jii-chan?"

She expected him to drop the subject but immediately poured her slight frustration into a sigh when the middle-aged man nodded with much vigor. "You bet I am! But, Megu-chan, remember that my son-in-law must be strong, handsome, and will treat you like his princess or else I won't accept him! Ah, and he should be able to protect you from any harm—"

"If you're going to suggest marrying a samurai again, then I'll remain unwed for the rest of my life.." she instantly cut off her father's words. _I know it's your life-long dream to become one; but father, marrying your daughter off to a samurai won't fulfill that.._

Feeling a tad guilty due to her father's deflated mood, Megumi decided to steer their conversation to something else. "By the way, father, I'm positive that I've perfected the previous technique you taught me.. So, when will I learn a new one?"

The merchant's countenance brightened up as he replied. "You'll have to wait for my next return then. Ahhh, my cute Megu-chan's very talented! I'm so proud.." He paused to look at his wife when he abruptly recalled something. "Mitsuko, remember those rice cakes you packed for me? I let a patron of mine, a nobleman from Kyoto, taste one and he got so delighted that he ate them all! Well, he paid for it though, ahahaha. The bad thing is.. He asked if I can bring you with me in my next visit.."

Megumi's mother blinked a few times before answering. "I-I suppose I can come but.." Her gaze then went to her only daughter. "What about Megumi? We've never left her by herself here.."

 _Time for a little sacrifice, Megumi._ "No worries, *okaa-san, *otou-san! If it's for only a week, I'm certain that I can manage."

"I know you can, but—"

"No buts, okaa-san! I promise I'll be fine on my own.." _And_ _I'll be able to visit Dr. Hasegawa's clinic after my training too!_

Megumi's lips curved into a sly beam at that and for a moment, she forgot how good her father was at reading people based on their facial expressions. She slightly gulped when a frown made its way to his visage and as she feared, her father had found out what she was thinking. "I'm confident that you will, Megu-chan. I have one reminder for you though: don't you dare go and see that young physician while we're away, am I clear?"

Megumi was about to complain when Mitsuko voiced out her agreement. "Your father and I both know about your dreams of becoming a doctor but that Kyouya Hasegawa is not one to be trusted, my dear. Aren't you aware about the gossips? They said that he recently became very picky about his patients."

"With the tension between the bakufu and the *Ishin shishi, no one can really be trusted. Not even doctors.." the middle-aged merchant added.

Sensing that there was no point in arguing with her parents—and she loved them too much to disobey them—Megumi suggested that they pack everything they need since they had to go before high noon. Nevertheless, the doting couple was hesitant to leave their only child by herself so in the end, they left the house just a couple of minutes before sundown. Indeed, it was the first time that Megumi was alone in their modest home but at least, her parents were together. _It's like I've set them up for a weeklong date._ A giggle escaped her lips at that thought as she wheeled back inside.

Walking on the veranda, her magenta orbs caught sight of her father's spear leaning against a wooden post. _He probably forgot this when we were training last night. I don't know where father keeps this but oh well, their room seemed like the best choice._ Despite the fact that the middle-aged merchant had always wanted to become a member of the warrior class albeit not coming from a samurai family, he didn't acquaint himself with the katana and instead, trained himself in *sojutsu. After being wed to Megumi's mother, Mitsuko, he hoped that he would have a son with whom he could pass his knowledge to. Unfortunately, fate was not on his side and they were gifted with a daughter instead. Still and all, the married couple couldn't have been any happier with their little girl.

At the age of nine, Megumi's father resolved that he would teach her the art of wielding a spear despite her gender and Mitsuko's opposition. Little Megumi was very obedient and she improved with each passing week. The titian-haired lass was extremely ecstatic when she first held a real *yari—she was thirteen at that time—yet her father told her that he would give Megumi her own after he taught her everything he knew. Influenced by her father's dreams, she imagined that if she were a boy born with samurai blood, she would most likely be a spearman.

Notwithstanding that thought, Megumi's ambition steered in a different light than that of her father's after an incurable disease swept their former hometown in Edo—claiming the lives of her grandparents and close cousins. Terrified that their only daughter might contract the illness as well, her parents then moved to Osaka. It was then and there that Megumi vowed to help others by becoming erudite in the medical field. Immediately after moving in their new home, she befriended the local physician in their neighborhood and a few others in the nearby villages. Little by little, she learned the basics such as first aid and treating mild cuts. By observing and helping in the clinic of her medic friends, eventually, she became knowledgeable enough to create herbal medicines, antidotes, etcetera. Megumi got so engrossed in the medical field that if given the chance, she was a hundred percent sure that she could perform a difficult procedure just like a real physician.

For two years, her parents had permitted her to assist the local doctor of their town until last year when a young physician named Kyouya Hasegawa came and established a clinic of his own. Obviously, Megumi opted to make his acquaintance in hopes of learning something new; yet as months go by, Kyouya's reputation got tainted by malicious rumors. Megumi disregarded them but when her father then commanded her to stay away from him, she had no choice but to obey.

Her short reverie was cut as her attention shifted to the florid comb on the low table near the corner where she placed her father's yari. _Of all the things mother could've left behind. Didn't she tell me a lot of times that she won't be able to live without that comb?_ Megumi took the forgotten item and the spear once more, exiting her parents' room and hastily traipsed outside their home. _I hope I can still make it to them.._ Running as if she could fly, she gripped the spear tightly and prayed that her parents haven't gone too far.

She smiled in relief when her father's wagon came into view, parked in the middle of the street. Panting hard, Megumi neared the horse-drawn vehicle only to find that all of the merchandises were gone; and so were her parents. Panic seized the girl and she frantically looked for them while she clutched her father's spear.

After a few minutes of her nerve-wracking search, Megumi ceased in her tracks and felt her heart stopped at the scene that had met her. There they were, her strict but loving parents, lying on the ground in a pool of crimson. Gone was the light and laughter in her father's eyes, now replaced by lifelessness through magenta mirrors. Her mother, the ever-resplendent, older version of Megumi, had her torso slashed as blood stained her kimono. Megumi wanted to scream and cry but no words came out of her lips. The smell of her parents' blood was defiling the oxygen she breathed inside her lungs. She remained there, standing in front of her parents' corpses, paralyzed by the horrifying and crippling truth that they had left her; that they would never again grace her with their presence; that they were **dead.**

"N-No.. O-Okaa-s-san.. O-Otou-san.." her voice broke with every syllable she uttered.

Without warning, Kyouya Hasegawa stepped out of a corner and neared the stunned maiden. "Megumi, what are you doing out here?"

She couldn't find the ability to speak. Her thoughts were clouded by the harsh reality that fate had taken the lives of her parents. Refusing to believe the truth, she walked towards the young physician and violently shook his shoulders. "D-Dr. Hasegawa! P-Please save them! Save my parents! They're—"

"They're gone, Megumi."

The girl sank to the ground, irises wide and hands trembling while tears flow mercilessly on her cheeks. "N-No.. Th-That's not true! No!"

Kyouya unabashedly wrapped his arms around her, stroking her luscious titian tresses with gentle fingers. "Come with me."

Suddenly registering the questionable fact that the young doctor was unreasonably present in the murder scene of her parents, Megumi pushed him away; standing back up to point her weapon to him. "Y-You.. Tell me, what the hell are you doing here, Dr. Hasegawa?!"

Also moving in a standing position, Kyouya dusted his garments and stared at her with a blank expression written upon his facial lineaments. "You should've never seen this. Oh well, if you're looking for an explanation regarding your parents' deaths, then let me give you one. Your father was an established merchant who knew a lot of people; which was why months ago, we had asked him to secretly supply arms to the Choshu forces. However, he refused and we've suspected that he had his loyalties to the *Kyoto shugoshoku. Obviously, traitors like him must be eliminated. Your mother was more or less, an accomplice, so she ought to die as well."

 _My parents were killed just because of some baseless suspicions?! They weren't a part of any political bullshit!_ Megumi's anger was devouring her as she breathily asked, "y-you're a member of the Ishin shishi?"

"Yes. And if you're going to ask, well, I'm not really a doctor. I'm a pro-sonnō jōi samurai from the Choshu-han. Now, this might sound ridiculous but Megumi Saiga, I've grown fond of you. Think about it, you'd make a fine wife for a warrior fighting for a good cause such as myself. You will—"

Blood in place of words came out of his mouth as the girl impaled her weapon in his stomach. She then removed the crimson-stained spear while she watched Kyouya cough more blood and fall beside the two dead bodies. "Are you fucking insane?! You're asking me to come with you and be your wife when you killed my parents?!"

Megumi suddenly heard voices shouting the fake doctor's name.

"T-They didn't die by my sword.. I-If I can't have you, then you must die here as well!" vociferated Kyouya, prompting the enraged girl to realize that her parents' real murderers were the ones calling out for him. Deprived of options, Megumi kneeled and held the cold, bloody hands of her parents for an ephemeral moment before she ran towards her father's wagon; riding the horse and directing it back to their house.

Once she got home, rain poured from the heavens while Megumi cried her heart out and sobbed for her loss; the spear falling from her grasp and down to the muddied ground. _They're gone.. My parents are gone.._ Then, in time with the roar of thunder and lightning, she perceived that there's a great possibility that her parent's killers would also come for her. Scurrying to their room, she removed her soaking garments and quickly put on her father's clothing. His pants were too big for her so she opted to wrap the ends with white bandages; causing them to appear baggy. Her titian locks were carelessly tied in a low ponytail as Megumi ran to her own room, hastily placing her needed things—including her mother's comb—in a satchel.

Getting her father's yari from the ground, she rode the horse again and with one final look at her beloved home, Megumi pulled its reins and left—unconcerned that her wet clothes were sticking onto her skin as she battled against the heavy downpour; while her tears continued to fall without end.

* * *

After a few days, Megumi found herself wandering in the capital. She came to Kyoto hitching a ride in a cart full of fresh vegetables owned by a farmer from a certain village—where she sold the horse to a wealthy man in order to buy herself some food. Enveloped by grief, Megumi was going aimlessly at life, taking action in whatever comes first in her mind; which was why she somehow got to Kyoto. Still, she cared not and concluded that if this sense of purposelessness went on, she might as well take her own life.

"The Shinsengumi is raiding a store a few blocks from here!"

Megumi didn't give a damn about the chatters of the townsfolk but when someone uttered the word 'Ishin shishi', her feet automatically moved as she tightened her hold on her spear. Arriving in front of the said establishment, she witnessed a number of men clad in similar hued haori arresting what she heard were secret members of the anti-shogunate faction. _Those guys in light-blue uniforms are most likely the Shinsengumi.._ Bursting out of the store, a man tried to escape and ran away. Megumi couldn't simply stand and watch another bastard belonging to the same group that had murdered her parents flee to safety so she catapulted herself into the commotion and instantly sheathed her yari to his stomach—not unlike what she had done to Kyouya.

The wounded man was easily caught by the Shinsengumi soldiers; yet to her surprise, they also grabbed hold of her arms. "L-Let go of me! Is this how you thank someone for helping you stop that Ishin shishi guy?!"

"Release him!" shouted a deep, authoritative voice from behind them. They did what they told as Megumi twirled to regard whoever gave the command. Exasperated magenta irises then met a pair of azure eyes twinkling in mild amusement. The man adjusted the green bandana on his forehead before opening his mouth to speak again. "Well, thanks for helping us, erm..?"

"It's Meg—I mean Mamoru.. And you are?"

"Captain of the second unit of the Shinsengumi, Shinpachi Nagakura!" he answered immediately.

"I see. Then I'm glad to be of assistance to you, Nagakura-san." _And I hope you torture those you've arrested. On the contrary, you can just end their lives here and now._

Megumi had already rotated to leave when Shinpachi called out to her. "Wait a second, Mamoru-kun! Say, are you interested in joining us? You're short for a man but I think you got the skills. And we're in need of recruits as of late so.."

 _Me fighting that cursed loyalist faction alongside these guys? I think I've finally found my real calling. Watch over me, okaa-san, otou-san. I swear that I'm going to avenge your deaths._

"With pleasure. But you better be sure that I get to kill some Ishin shishi bastards.. Deal, captain?"

At the Shinsengumi headquarters, Megumi was introduced to the commanding officers and the other captains. Even though Shinpachi was the one who coaxed her to join, the chief appointed her to the tenth division, led by Sanosuke Harada, due to the fact that the red-haired captain was also a spear-wielder. Luckily, they haven't found out her real gender. Nevertheless, since she was disguising as Mamoru Saiga, she was to share a room with the other soldiers of the tenth unit. Pretending to be a man in front of her new comrades during meals and sword practice proved to be one of the hardest things she did in her entire existence. Notwithstanding her difficulties, most of her fellow soldiers were kind enough to guide Megumi in her first day as a member of the Kyoto special police force.

The tenth unit was assigned for evening patrol yet their captain permitted Megumi to stay in the compound instead. She grabbed that opportunity to sneak into the bathhouse and cleanse herself, making sure that no one was inside. Megumi also went to the huge sleeping chamber where she would spend the night with her fellow soldiers and fixed her futon a couple of distance away from the others. _This is going to be a long night.._ She opted to take a quick shut-eye while she still had the entire room for herself.

After a short period of serenity, voices reached her alert ears, signaling that the men had gotten back and causing Megumi to forcibly pull herself from her nap's embrace. She cracked one eye open to see them enter the room while they chatted among themselves.

"Haven't you heard? Another boy was given his own room!"

"You mean the other *bishounen from Captain Toudou's unit? Heh, seems like they really favor those with girly faces!"

Megumi wasn't catching up to her comrades' talk so she asked—in the lowest pitch possible to make her voice sound mannish—what they were discussing.

"Hey guys, Mamoru-kun's still awake!" one soldier cheerily voiced out.

A tall lad with an impassive visage was the one who answered her question. "Yo, newbie. Well, apparently, there were two soldiers from the eighth division who got special privileges like having their own rooms and dining with the captains."

"The first one to get such privileges was Aoi Katsu from Captain Okita's group. And he too, looks too pretty to be a man," added another soldier.

"Yeah, but according to a first unit soldier whom I befriended, he's deadly as hell."

Their conversation about the enviable treatment the three effete men received and their physical appearances went on, causing Megumi's sleepiness to dance away while she listened to them. _I'm starting to be tempted into using my looks to get my own room too._

"Or maybe it's because they're not sword-wielders? I heard from an acquaintance that Takuya Tsubasa fought with a naginata and Hiroshi Mikoto uses short dual blades.."

Out of the blue, a bulky soldier went over and snaked an arm around Megumi's shoulders. "Our very own Mamoru-kun doesn't use a sword as well! Plus, he's also a bishounen.. Sooner or later, you'll be treated like them, too. Awwww, I'm so jealous!"

Unused to being touched—most especially since she repulsively remembered how Kyouya had embraced her that fateful night—Megumi removed his arm and excused that she was thirsty. She traipsed towards the direction of the well but as thoughts of the fake physician and the murder of her parents pervaded her mind, Megumi didn't realize that Shinpachi was standing near it, staring at her with a puzzled look. She also didn't realize that she had begun to cry unconsciously and was shocked when she heard his voice. "Hey, Mamoru-kun.. What's wrong? Men aren't supposed to show tears, you know.."

Megumi forced her tears to stop yet it only worsened her hiccups. "S-Sorry, sir. I-I'm going back.."

In her haste, she bumped into someone, causing her to fall in her rear. Megumi was about to apologize but was halted from doing so when a gentle hand helped her to get up. "You okay?"

"Y-Yes, I.." she paused as she stared upon a young man, about the same height as her, with glowing caramel orbs and bronze hair. _Based on the men's description, this must be Takuya Tsubasa.._

Another effeminate lad, whom she recognized as Hiroshi Mikoto due to her raven locks and cerulean eyes, came to stand beside Takuya. Shinpachi then stepped towards them to introduce Megumi. "Remember the short spearman I told you about a while ago? This is him. His name is—"

All of a sudden, Takuya dropped the question she feared the most. "You're a girl, are you not?"

 _Eh..?_

 _Ehhhhh?! How did he..?!_

Takuya pointed a finger to her clothing before she spoke once more. "You should've bandaged your chest if you plan to walk around in your sleeping yukata."

At those words, Megumi quickly covered her bosom with her arms, not seeing the flabbergasted expression upon Shinpachi's face—which was beginning to redden with each fleeting second. _I'm done. I'm so done. They'll certainly remove me or worse, make me commit seppuku. Why did this have to happen when I finally found a way to avenge my parents' deaths?!_

"Nagakura-san, I think we ought to tell this to oji-san.."

Hiroshi walked over to her and led Megumi to the direction of the captains' rooms as Takuya and Shinpachi went to get Takuya's uncle, or rather their chief. She and Hiroshi stood on the engawa; with Megumi anxiously waiting for the two to return. When Shinpachi finally came back, he politely asked Hiroshi to go first. And as he regarded the titian-haired girl, he comically placed his hands upon his head and said, "I knew it! Ha! It's ridiculously weird of me to think of a man as cute! Wait till I shove this revelation on your face, Sano! So, why didn't you tell me in the first place, Mamo—erm..?"

"I have my reasons, Nagakura-san. If it's alright, I'd like to explain everything when we're in front of the chief so that I won't have to repeat myself.."

Sighing in defeat, Shinpachi beckoned her to follow him to a spacious room. Inside, she saw Takuya, Hiroshi, the commanding officers, and a chestnut-haired bishounen whom she guessed to be Aoi Katsu, all seated as if this was an important meeting when Megumi knew that they would simply discuss the date of her death. After she and Shinpachi sat down, she was asked to state her real name and her real reason for agreeing with the second division captain to join the Miburo. Unable to contain the pain she was feeling, tears slid down her cheeks once again while she narrated the murder of her parents and her desire for revenge.

"Saiga, the Shinsengumi acts as protectors of peace in Kyoto. We can't have anyone with a mindset for vengeance in our corps," emphasized Hijikata, the vice commander.

"I know! But won't I be performing that too when I kill anyone, especially those damned loyalists, who stand in the Shinsengumi's way? What difference will it make?" she protested, holding on to that tiny light of hope that maybe, just maybe, they would still let her be a full-fledged soldier. _I'll bow in front of every captain if needed! I've nothing more to lose!_ Megumi thought as she indeed positioned herself into a bow.

"My, my.. She sounds like Souji and its giving me the chills. The decision rests in your hands, Kondo-san," asserted Aoi. For a few seconds, they were silent; and when the chief was about to speak, Takuya unfortunately beat him to it. "I think we ought to give her a chance, oji-san."

"I agree, however—"

"Then it's settled. Let me introduce myself formally to you, Megumi-chan. My name's Tamaki Tsubasa. Both Hinata and I are under Heisuke-kun's unit. Similar to you, we're pretending to be men and go by the names Takuya and Hiroshi. Oh, and my deepest condolences."

 _What the.. They're girls?! Does this mean.._

The chestnut-haired man offered her a smile when Megumi dragged her gaze towards him. "I suppose you want to know if I'm a girl too, huh? Well, yes I am. I'm Ayane Katsu but the boys from Souji's group know me as Aoi. Welcome to the Shinsengumi, Megumi-chan."

Obviously trying to will his exasperation away, Hijikata had his face covered by one hand, removing it after a short while to scold the chief's niece. "Tsubasa, Kondo-san hasn't stated his resolve yet! Why the hell did you give away your disguises?! And you too, Katsu!"

"I-It's fine, Toshi. Either way, I've already decided to let her remain here. Saiga, you need to keep on pretending as a man like Katsu, Mikoto, and my niece. And since they all have their rooms near the captains' sleeping quarters, you'll have your own too." _Yosh! Special privileges! I should've initially told them about my gender had I known it'll end up like this.._

Sannan, the general commander, agreed to Kondo's verdict without objections. "If Saiga-kun proved to be as skilled as Nagakura-kun previously told us, then it would be a waste of her talents if we simply threw her out, ne? Ah, and I suggest that we group the ladies in one unit to avoid more conflict."

"Then I'll talk to Heisuke and Harada-kun tomorrow about transferring Saiga to the eighth division so that only Katsu would be separated from the girls.." replied the chief.

Ayane's orbs widened after hearing Kondo's utterance. "Wait a second, Kondo-san! Why can't I join them too?!"

Hijikata then cleared his throat, causing Ayane to look at him. "I think it's about time we inform you about our debate regarding your promotion as the first unit's vice captain. Katsu, I've no intention of inflating your ego but your reports for the past month and a half have been.. well.. good; in contrast with Byakuya Matsuda who was—"

"I'm positive that the current vice captain's just too afraid of Souji especially when he spouts idiotic threats and nonsense. That's why he's performing poorly," quibbled Ayane, unconcerned that she had just cut off Hijikata.

"Who's spouting nonsense, Ayane-sama?"

All heads turned towards the doorway to stare at Souji, donning the same feline smirk Megumi saw this afternoon during her initial encounter with the troop captains. He seemed to have just recently awaken, the sleepiness in his emerald irises were still present in addition with his bed hair. "Oh, if it isn't the shorty Shinpachi-san brought."

Kondo gestured for him to take a seat as he told him the whole situation and Megumi's real gender. When the chief had finished explaining, Ayane opened her mouth to continue her complaints. "As I was saying earlier, you guys should blame Souji for Vice Captain Matsuda's performance. Oh, but thanks for noticing my hard work, Hijikata-san! Still and all, I'm requesting to be with my fellow ladies in Heisuke-kun's division.."

"Hmm, but Ayane-sama, wouldn't it be better for you to take Megumi-chan's place in the tenth division instead?" suggested Souji.

Ayane's cheeks flared before she made a response. "S-Shut up! And how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me Ayane-sama, you pest! It's annoying as hell!"

"Not until you quit addressing me as 'Captain Green' in front of my _own_ group.."

"You're such a dumb brat! Didn't you know that it was Hinata-chan who pointed out your rare eye colour to me?! I bet she finds 'Captain Green' appropriate for you too! Ne, Hinata-chan? It suits him very much, right?"

The others may not notice it but Hinata's pale face reddened in the slightest bit before she gave Ayane a nod. Souji's signature smirk then disappeared from his catlike lineaments; he seemed to be taken aback by the retort of the currently beaming Ayane. "W-Why you..!"

Megumi watched as Sannan quietly exit the room and Kondo sighed helplessly while the two refused to cease from throwing banters to each other. Hijikata furiously rubbed his temples; she feared that any minute now, the vice commander wouldn't be able to contain his rage. Tamaki had an impassive expression upon her countenance and Hinata looked adorable trying to persuade Ayane and Souji to quiet down lest the increasing noise rouse the other captains. _And I suppose, that'll cause more headaches for Hijikata-san.._

All of a sudden, Shinpachi poked her arm, slightly jolting Megumi yet she met his gaze nonetheless. "Those two won't stop until the oni no fukucho erupts so we better leave before that happens. Let's go, Megumi-chan!"

Shinpachi discreetly gave Tamaki and Hinata a thumbs up and then walked as silent as a brawny man like him could towards the exit, glancing back at Megumi as he beckoned her to stand and go outside as well. Once they were both out of the room, Megumi followed the copper-haired captain despite having no idea where he was heading. He brought her into an empty room and told her the location of the other girls' chambers. _So, I'm neighbors with Katsu-san whose room was next to Tsubasa-san's and then Mikoto-san's._ She then informed Shinpachi that she needed to collect her things in the large room designated for tenth unit soldiers. "Let's just ask Sano to get them for you in the morning. Do you think that they won't notice your.. erm.. nevermind. A-Anyways, it's too risky for you to go back there..!"

Megumi arched a fine brow at that. Actualization surged over her when Shinpachi took another swift glance at her bosom and she gifted him with a rather loud slap to the cheek. "P-Pervert!"

"I-It's not like that! I-I swear that my thoughts are clean!" he retaliated instantly, the shape of her palm already showing on his skin. "W-What I'm telling you is that.. You should flatten them with bandages just like what Tamaki-chan said.." _F-Flatten..?!_

Shinpachi gulped at the sight of her infuriated look, realizing the mistake in his suggestion. "M-Megumi-chan..? I'm saying this out of pure concern! I'm not a pervert!"

Megumi turned her back to him, breathing in and out to calm herself. It wouldn't do any good to her if the commanding officers found her beating the life out of the second unit captain moments after they had just given her a second chance.

Sensing that the girl was indeed angry with him, Shinpachi then left her and ran towards the direction where the captains' rooms were located. Megumi blinked in bewilderment when he did so yet she remained in her position. She got even more confused when she felt the smoothness of silk on her shoulders. "Huh..?"

"I'm lending you my haori since you can't have your stuff till morning.." _He went to get this for me?_ "If you're still mad, come with me. I'll show you something.."

" _Come with me."_

Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered how those words had also escaped the lips of the man she loathed the most. _Kyouya Hasegawa.._ After losing her relatives from a fatal illness, Megumi had vowed to become a physician in order to save lives; but Kyouya had crushed that. Right now, the only thing she desired was to avenge her parents. And anyone brave enough to stand in her way would die by the blade of her spear.

"Uhh, Megumi-chan?"

Almost forgetting that she was supposed to be mad at him, Megumi gave the muscular captain a glare yet she acquiesced to his request. Shinpachi led her outside the compound as she tightly wrapped herself in his haori. They went to a hidden meadow not too far from the Shinsengumi headquarters. She was about to ask him why he brought her there when he pointed towards a tiny, moving thing that glows. _Was that an insect..?_ Shinpachi took a small rock and aimed at the coruscating bug. As the rock hit the ground, more glowing bugs floated as they scattered around the two, illuminating the meadow. "What are those..?"

"Fireflies."

Megumi didn't say anything and Shinpachi smiled as he saw how absorbed the girl was at the beautiful dance the fireflies were making. "Pretty cool, huh? I accidentally found this place when I was a little tipsy on the way back to the compound. You know, just having some good time with the guys at Shimabara.."

A few minutes passed before Megumi decided to speak. "Fine. I'm not mad anymore, captain."

Shinpachi's beam almost reached his ears at her words. "Alright then! And to prove that I'm really a gentleman, allow me to introduce myself not to Mamoru but to Megumi this time." She nodded and he took this as an indication to continue.

"Yo Megumi-chan! I'm the second unit captain of the Shinsengumi, Shinpachi Nagakura! Nice to meet ya!" He then held her hand and Megumi's breath hitched at the contact. _His hand is so big compared to mine.._ She blinked rapidly when he motioned for a handshake and she found herself giggling afterwards.

"W-What's so funny?"

"Your introduction didn't sound gentlemanly at all!" she commented. His twin azure depths lose its twinkle for a fleeting second before they shined with vitality again.

"You finally laughed!" Shinpachi asserted. In a snap, Megumi's spirits dampened as she remembered that she shouldn't be feeling happy. She was supposed to grieve her parents' deaths and avenge them. The copper-haired captain's countenance also turned melancholic upon seeing her revert back to her doleful self. Megumi gasped when he placed his large hand to gently cover her magenta orbs. "Remember what I told you earlier when I still thought of you as Mamoru? A man shouldn't show his tears. For me, crying is sign of weakness.. But I know you're not a weak person, right Megumi-chan?"

With that, he removed his hand as sorrow devoured Megumi again. She felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes but Shinpachi was quick to wipe them away. "I-It's entirely different for women, however.. And I can't stand it when a girl cries."

Still, tears flow down her face and onto the ground. "Y-You can't blame me. I lost my parents.. I lost everything!"

His hand then moved to gently pat her on the head. "I know. And I also know that I can't do anything to console you so just go ahead and cry."

Shinpachi immediately regretted what he stated for Megumi had indeed cried, louder this time, her voice cracking due to incessant hiccups. He was frying his brains out, trying to think of a way to somehow cheer her up. _Gah! I really can't stand a woman's tears!_ Deprived of any choices, he hesitantly closed their distance and wrapped Megumi in his muscled arms while he continued to pat her head. They remained in that position for several minutes; now apathetic to the numerous fireflies surrounding them.

"N-Nagakura-san, I-I can't breathe.."

Shinpachi swiftly released her, scratching his copper mane as he stammered his apology. "S-Sorry.. I got carried away, ahahaha.."

"You're too big that you failed to notice that you're already squishing me," Megumi grumbled, her mood elevating in the tiniest bit thanks to the realization that someone was trying his hardest to comfort her and show her sympathy. Despite being both males, Megumi thought that the sensation she felt from Shinpachi's hug was completely different from when Kyouya embraced her. Grief still rendered her helpless and weak yet she couldn't deny that Shinpachi's unyielding warmth had somehow brought her solace. _Just like the sun's rays._

"Well, we can't blame my wonderfully-sculpted body for possessing such strength, can we?" He joked, wishing that her tears would cease from falling. _I know that you'll cry again tomorrow, and in the next days.. But for now, I hope to see you laugh one more time._

His prayers were answered when the girl tittered even while unbridled tears continued to well from her shields of magenta. "Wonderfully-sculpted? Seriously?"

Shinpachi pat her head again and smiled brightly despite her little jibe. Megumi forced herself to end her sobs, taking Shinpachi's hand in hers to offer him another handshake. "I'm really glad I met you, Nagakura-san. And thanks for lending me your haori too."

* * *

*Jii-chan – (ojii-san) an informal way of addressing one's grandfather (the suffix -chan, denotes affection in Megumi's part).

*Okaa-san – an informal way of addressing one's mother as opposed to haha-ue.

*Otou-san – an informal way of addressing one's father as opposed to chichi-ue.

*Ishin shishi – the loyalists or the anti-shogunate group who were firm believers of the Japanese political philosophy _Sonnō jōi_ (which means 'revere the Emperor, expel the barbarians **'** ). During the Bakumatsu period, the Ishin shishi utilized this as a slogan to force the Tokugawa shogunate to relinquish its authority.

*Sojutsu – the art or technique of using a yari.

*Yari – a nihonto in the form of a spear.

*Kyoto shugoshoku – this pertains to the Military Commissioner of Kyoto. Under the orders of the Tokugawa bakufu, the Kyoto shugoshoku was Lord Katamori Matsudaira from Aizu (which was the domain that funded the Shinsengumi and was also its first official supervisor).

*Bishounen – a Japanese term which pertains to a beautiful young man. Although most use this term regardless of age, bishounen is really meant for boys below eighteen. One can refer to an older handsome man as bidanshi instead (and since Ayane/Aoi is already nineteen, she ought to be considered a bidanshi, not a bishounen).

 **RK:** Waaaaaah! Shin's so sweet and adorable! We'll see how he's going to help Megumi rebuild herself again in the next chapters.. ShinMegu ftw! Actually, I've read a couple of fics that portray Shinpachi as a womanizer and I was like, "no, he's not!" I think many had failed to capture his real personality because he's often seen drinking and going to Shimabara. In my opinion, he's really a good-natured guy who, like the other captains, would be faithful to his lover till his last breath.

Also, I'm not really sure if the Shinsengumi troops did have vice captains but it's fanfiction so I'll distort history as much as I needed for this work of mine, bwahaha. Anyways, I hope you guys didn't get confused by the names since I've included the girls' aliases in this chapter. And hurrayyyyy! *fanfare and confetti* I'm happy that it didn't take me a month to post a new chapter. Oh, and Heisuke's so lucky (or is he really?) to have three girls in his unit! Let's just hope that the others won't get too envious and bully him, lol.

 ** _Up next…_** The last female who would be entangled in the lives of the Shinsengumi is coming to Visions of Forever: You and I, Part I. Three sticks of virtual dango for the right answer!


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